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CLEOPATRA'S    NEEDLE 


By  Hon.  Elbeet  E.  Fabman.  LX..D. 


Along  the  Nile 

Large  12mo,  358  pages;  Illustrated;  $2.50  net 
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Egypt  and  its  Betrayal 

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THE  GRAFTON   PRESS 

70  I'^ifth  Avenue  6  Beacon  Street 

New  York  Boston 


CLEOPATRA'S  NEEDLE 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  NEGOTIATIONS  LEAD- 
ING UP    TO  ITS  GIFT  TO  THE  CITY    OF 
NEW    YORK    BY     THE   KHEDIVE    OF 
EGYPT,  ITS    REMOVAL   AND  ITS 
HISTORY  AND  INSCRIPTIONS 
REPRINTED    FROM 
"  EGYPT  AND  ITS  BETRAYAL  " 


BY 
ELBERT  E.  FARMAN,  LL.D. 

Formerly  United  States  Consul  General  at  Cairo 
Author  of  "  Along  the  Nile,"  "  Egypt  and  its  Betrayal,"  etc. 


THE  GRAFTON  PRESS 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


F 
/IB.  64 

F57 


Copyright  igo8  by 
THE  GRAFTON  PRESS 


PUBLISHERS*  NOTE 

npHE  following  pages  relating  to  the  Obelisk  in  Central  Park, 
New  York  City,  are  reprinted  without  change  from  Judge 
Farman's  book  "Egypt  and  its  Betrayal,"  which  is  an  account 
of  the  country  during  the  periods  of  Ismail  and  Tewfik  Pashas, 
and  of  how  England  acquired  a  new  empire. 

The  story  of  Cleopatra's  Needle  has  been  frequently  told  in 
magazine  and  newspaper  articles,  but  the  following  is  the  full- 
est and  most  authoritative  account  yet  published,  and  is  of 
such  historical  value  as  to  warrant  its  being  issued  in  this  sepa- 
rate form. 

The  Grafton  Press 


142  Egypt   and   its   Betrayal 


CHAPTER  XIV 


Cleopatra's  needle — negotiations  by  which  it  was  secured 


The  idea  of  securing  an  obelisk  for  the  City  of  New  York  had 
its  origin  in  1877.  It  grew  out  of  the  newspaper  reports  of  the 
work,  then  in  progress,  of  transporting  an  obelisk  from  Alex- 
andria to  London.  Paris  had  such  a  monument  already.  London 
was  to  have  one.  Why  should  not  New  York,  the  great  city  of 
the  New  World,  be  equally  favored? 

It  was  erroneously  stated  in  a  New  York  newspaper  that  his 
Highness,  the  Khedive  of  Egypt,  had  signified  '^his  willingness 
to  present  to  the  City  of  New  York,  upon  a  proper  application, 
the  remaining  obelisk  of  Alexandria."  Mr.  John  Dixon,  the 
contractor  who  transported  to  London  the  obelisk  now  on  the 
Thames  Embankment,  was  the  person,  it  was  claimed,  to  whom 
the  Khedive  had  thus  expressed  himself.^ 

Mr.  Henry  G.  Stebbins,  then  Commissioner  of  the  Department 
of  Public  Parks  of  the  City  of  New  York,  undertook  to  secure  the 
necessary  funds  for  transporting  and  erecting  the  obelisk  in 
question.  Mr.  William  H.  Vanderbilt  was  asked  to  head  the 
subscription,  but  he  generously  offered  to  defray  the  whole  ex- 
pense of  the  undertaking.    After  some  telegraphic  communica- 

^  Mr.  Dixon  afterwards  wrote  the  writer  that  the  report  that  the  Khedive 
had  had  any  conversation  with  him  regarding  the  obelisk  of  Alexandria  or 
had  given  him  any  intimation  of  an  intention  of  presenting  an  obelisk  to  the 
United  States,  or  to  the  City  of  New  York,  was  wholly  a  mistake;  that,  in  fact 
nothing  whatever  of  that  nature  ever  took  place. 


Cleopatra's    Needle  143 

tions  had  been  exchanged  with  Mr.  Dixon  as  to  the  sum  that 
would  be  required,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  entered  into  a  written  contract 
with  Mr.  Stebbins  to  that  effect.  Only  eight  days  after  the  first 
publication  of  the  erroneous  statement,  Mr.  Stebbins  addressed 
to  the  Department  of  State  at  Washington  the  following  letter: — 

"New  York,  15th  October,  1877. 
"Hon.  Wm.  M.  Evarts, 
"Secretary  of  State, 
"Dear  Sir: 

"I  have  the  pleasure  to  enclose  two  copies  of  a  letter  addressed  this 
day  to  his  Highness  the  Khedive  of  Egypt,  on  the  subject  of  the  obelisk  to 
which  I  had  the  honor  of  inviting  your  attention  yesterday. 

"  Will  you  kindly  send  one  copy  to  the  Consul-General  of  the  United  States 
at  Alexandria  with  instructions  to  await  the  arrival  of  an  authorized  repre- 
sentative of  Mr.  Dixon,  mentioned  in  letter,  bringing  with  him  an  engrossed 
copy  of  the  letter,  and  upon  the  arrival  of  that  representative,  to  accompany 
him  into  the  presence  of  the  Khedive,  or  in  some  other  proper  way  to  certify 
to  the  authority  of  the  letter,  and  to  the  authority  of  the  person  bearing  it. 

"  I  am,  dear  Sir, 

"  Yours  very  respectfully, 
Signed:     "  Henry  G.  Stebbins." 

On  the  receipt  of  this  letter  the  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Evarts, 
addressed  to  me  the  following  despatch,  enclosing  a  copy  of 
Mr.  Stebbins'  letter  and  a  copy  of  the  letter  which  it  was  pro- 
posed to  have  deUvered  to  his  Highness  the  Khedive: — 

"  Department  of  State, 

"  Washington,  October  19, 1877. 
"No  85. 

"E.  E.  Farman,  Esquire,  Etc.,  Etc.,  Etc. 
"Sir: 

"This  department  is  in  receipt  of  a  communication  from  Mr.  Henry  G, 
Stebbins,  Commissioner  of  the  Department  of  Public  Parks  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  relative  to  the  Obelisk  which  it  is  understood  the  Government  of  the 
Khedive  is  willing  to  present  to  the  City  of  New  York,  on  due  provision  being 
made  for  its  transportation  and  erection  in  some  public  place  there.  Mr. 
Stebbins  encloses  a  copy  of  a  letter  of  which  the  engrossed  original  is  to  be 
presented  to  the  Khedive  by  an  authorized  representative  of  Mr.  Dixon  of 


144  -^gyP^   ^^^   ^^s   Betrayal 

London,  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  transportation  to  England  of  the  obe- 
lisk known  as  Cleopatra's  Needle,  and  solicits  the  sanction  of  this  Government 
in  the  presentation  of  that  letter, 

"  A  copy  of  the  letter  of  Mr.  Stebbins  and  of  its  enclosure  is  herewith  trans- 
mitted to  you.  In  view  of  the  public  object  to  be  subserved  you  are  instructed 
to  use  all  proper  means  of  furthering  the  wishes  expressed  in  Mr.  Stebbins' 
letter. 

"lam,  Sir, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 
Signed:     "  Wm.  M.  Evarts. 
"Enclosures: 

"Mr.  Stebbins  to  Mr.  Evarts,  October  15,  1877,  with  accompaniment." 

Copy  of  proposed  letter  of  Mr.  Stebbins  to  the  Khedive. 

"To 

"His  Highness, 
"The   Khedive. 
"Highness: 

"The  deep  interest  excited  throughout  the  civilized  world  by  the 
removal,  under  the  auspices  of  your  enhghtened  and  liberal  Government,  of 
the  great  obelisk  known  as  'Cleopatra's  Needle,'  from  Alexandria  to  England, 
has  been  quickened  in  the  United  States  of  America  by  the  intimation  con- 
veyed to  the  people  of  the  City  of  New  York  through  the  estimable  Mr.  Dixon 
of  London,  that  your  Highness  might  not  be  indisposed,  upon  a  proper  appli- 
cation to  that  effect  being  made,  to  testify  your  gracious  good  will  and  friendly 
sentiments  towards  the  American  People,  by  presenting  to  the  City  of  New 
York,  for  erection  in  one  of  the  great  public  squares,  the  companion  obelisk 
which  now  stands  at  Alexandria. 

"  In  the  hope  that  such  an  application  may  indeed  be  favorably  received  by 
your  Highness,  an  eminent  citizen  of  New  York  has  signified  to  me  his  willing- 
ness to  defray  all  the  necessary  costs  and  charges  of  bringing  this  obelisk  across 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  setting  it  up  in  such  a  situation,  there  to  remain  as  an 
eloquent  witness  alike  of  the  liberal  and  enlightened  spirit  in  which  your 
Highness  administered  the  affairs  of  the  ancient  and  illustrious  country  so 
happily  confided  to  your  sceptre  and  of  your  good  will  towards  the  youngest 
of  the  great  nations  of  the  world. 

"The  generous  and  public-spirited  citizen  of  whom  I  speak  has  requested 
me  in  my  capacity  as  a  Commissioner,  for  now  many  years  past,  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Parks  in  the  City  of  New  York  to  lay  before  your  Highness, 
therefore,  through  the  Honorable,  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  this  formal  application  and  to  say  to  your  Highness  that  if  it 
shall  please  you  to  authorize  the  removal  of  the  obelisk  and  its  erection  here, 


Cleopatra's   Needle  145 


I  am  fully  prepared  to  commission  Mr.  John  Dixon  of  London  at  once  to  under- 
take the  work. 

"  I  am  sure  your  Highness  will  permit  me  to  say  to  you,  that  the  successful 
completion  of  this  work  will  be  gladly  and  gratefully  hailed  by  the  people  of 
New  York,  and  of  the  United  States  of  America,  as  a  new  illustration  of  the 
statesmanhke  wisdom  displayed  by  your  Highness  in  your  patronage  of  the 
mighty  enterprise  which  has  united  the  Mediterranean  with  the  Indian  seas; 
and  as  a  new  and  most  interesting  bond  connecting  the  Repubhc  of  the  United 
States  with  the  Government  of  your  Highness,  and  with  the  Egj^ptian  people 
and  Realm. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
"Your  Highness 's 

"  Most  obedient  humble  servant, 

Signed:     "  Henry  G.  Stebbins. 
"New  York, 

"Oct.  15,  1877." 

I  was  much  surprised  by  the  Secretary's  despatch.  I  had 
aheady  received  information  of  the  publications  in  New  York 
relative  to  the  obehsk,  but  was  aware  that  the  question  was 
entirely  new  in  Egypt.  Soon  afterwards  I  addressed  to  Mr. 
Evarts  the  following  despatch  and,  at  the  same  time,  sent  him 
a  private  letter  in  which  I  made  other  suggestions  as  to  the  course 
that  should  in  my  opinion  be  pursued. 

"No.  196. 

"  Agency  and  Consulate-General  of  the  United  States. 
"Cairo,  November  24,  1877. 
"  Honorable  William  M.  Evarts, 
"Secretary  of  State, 
"Washington,  D.  C. 
"Sir: 

"I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  despatch  No. 
85  enclosing  a  copy  of  a  letter  of  Mr.  Henry  G.  Stebbins,  Commissioner  of 
the  Department  of  Public  Parks  in  the  City  of  New  York,  addressed  to  his 
Highness,  the  Khedive,  and  also  a  copy  of  a  letter  addressed  by  the  same  per- 
son to  you,  both  relating  to  the  obelisk  now  standing  at  Alexandria,  which  it 
is  desired  to  obtain  and  transport  to  the  City  of  New  York. 

"On  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Dixon's  Agent,  I  shall  not  fail  to  use,  in  accordance 
with  your  instructions,  all  proper  means  of  furthering  the  wishes  of  Mr.  Steb- 
bins. 


146  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

"  I  fear,  however,  that  there  will  be  serious  opposition  to  the  removal  of  the 
obelisk  from  the  City  of  Alexandria,  so  much  in  fact  that  although  the  Khedive 
might  personally  desire  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  the  citizens  of  New  York,  he 
would  not  think  it  best  to  grant  their  request. 

"The  obelisk  lately  removed  by  the  English,  having  been  thrown  down 
many  years  since,  was  nearly  covered  with  sand  and  was  not  considered  of  any 
value  to  Alexandria.  The  one  now  standing,  and  the  monument  known  as 
Pompey's  Pillar,  are  the  only  objects  of  antiquity  remaining  in  the  city  that 
are  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  visited  by  travelers. 

"  Should  it  be  impossible  to  obtain  the  obehsk  at  Alexandria,  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  an  application  for  the  one  standing  at  Luxor,  or  one  of  those  at 
Kamak  would  be  favorably  received. 

"The  companion  of  the  obehsk  removed  by  the  French  in  1833,  and  after- 
wards erected  at  Paris  in  the  '  Place  de  la  Concorde,'  is  within  a  few  rods  of 
the  river  at  Luxor.  There  are  two  others  at  Karnak,  two  miles  below  Luxor, 
and  about  fifty  rods  from  the  river.  The  removal  of  one  of  these  might  not  be 
impracticable.  At  least  in  the  case  of  the  failure  to  procure  that  at  Alexandria, 
the  question  might  be  considered  by  those  in  New  York,  who  have  taken  an 
interest  in  the  subject. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be.  Sir. 
"Your  obedient  servant 

Signed:     "E.  E.  Farman." 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Dixon  had  been  informed  of  the  steps 
taken  by  the  parties  in  New  York  and  of  the  action  of  the  De- 
partment of  State.  He  was  much  surprised  at  the  manner  in 
which  his  name  had  been  used.  He  was  directly  mentioned  in 
the  letter  of  Mr.  Stebbins,  which  it  was  proposed  should  be  de- 
livered to  the  Khedive,  as  having  intimated  that  his  Highness 
might  not  be  indisposed  to  present  to  the  City  of  New  York  an 
obelisk.  Mr.  Dixon,  as  has  been  explained  above,  had  never 
had  any  conversation  with  the  Khedive  upon  the  subject.  He 
knew  enough  of  diplomatic  matters  and  court  usages  to  under- 
stand that  it  would  be  entirely  out  of  place  for  him,  a  private 
English  citizen,  or  for  his  agent,  to  ask  of  the  Khedive  a  favor  in 
behalf  of  the  citizens  of  any  country,  even  his  own. 

Had  the  Khedive  had  any  intention  or  desire  to  confer  a  favor 
upon  the  people  of  the  United  States,  he  would  never  have  given 


Cleopatra's    Needle  147 

intimation  of  the  fact  to  a  subject  of  some  other  nationality  in- 
stead of  to  the  accredited  representative  of  our  own  Government. 
Mr.  Dixon  took  immediate  measures  to  inform  the  parties  in 
New  York  of  their  mistake,  and,  fearing  lest  I  might  act  on  the 
instructions  I  had  received  from  the  Department  of  State,  he 
also  wrote  me  the  following  letter : 

"1,  Laurence  Poultney  Hill, 
"Cannon  Street, 

"London  E.  C,  Nov.  16,  1877. 
"H.  E.  The  Consul-General  of  the  United  States, 
"Egypt. 
"Sir: 

"  You  will,  I  beheve,  have  received  a  communication  from  Mr.  Secretary 
Evarts  requesting  you  to  ascertain  from  the  Government  of  his  Highness,  the 
Khedive,  whether  he  would  be  disposed  to  sanction  the  removal  of  an  obelisk 
to  the  L^nited  States  and  present  one  for  such  purpose. 

"  This  is  all  very  proper  but  my  name  has  been  mixed  up  with  it  as  though 
I  were  purveyor  of  obelisks  to  H.  H.  !  !  I  believe  it  is  founded  upon  a  casual 
remark  of  mine  that  if  the  U.  S.  wanted  an  obelisk  I  thought  it  possible  that 
one  might  be  obtained.    Mr.  Vanderbilt  offered  to  defray  the  expenses. 

"  You  will  see  whilst  a  suitable  despatch  from  the  United  States  secretary 
might  have  its  prayer  acceded  to,  neither  my  name  nor  that  of  anyone  else 
ought  to  be  mentioned. 

"  I  have  written  to  the  L^nited  States  explaining  my  views  and  an  amended 
despatch  will  be  sent  you.  Meantime  if  you  can  secure  one,  well  and  good, 
but  pray  do  not  mention  my  name  as  having  suggested  it.  I  shall  be  glad  to 
co-operate  in  the  novel  enterprise,  but  H.  H.  has  treated  me  with  such  con- 
sideration that  I  would  not  at  any  price  run  the  risk  of  offending  him  as  the 
despatch  I  allude  to  would  certainly  do, 

"I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  Sir, 
"Your  obedient  servant, 

Signed:     "John     Dixon." 

Mr.  Dixon's  letter,  a  copy  of  which  was  sent  to  Mr.  Evarts, 
was  received  immediately  after  the  sending  of  my  despatch  to 
the  latter,  on  the  24th  of  November. 

I  expected  soon  to  receive  further  instructions ;  but  none  came, 
nor  any  communication  on  the  subject  from  any  source.     On 


148  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

receipt  of  Mr.  Dixon's  communication,  sent  to  parties  in  New 
York,  the  whole  matter  of  the  obelisk  was  dropped.  After  the 
newspaper  pubUcations  of  October,  1877,  which  I  have  men- 
tioned, there  was  a  profomid  silence.  No  reference  to  the  sub- 
ject was  made  in  any  of  the  New  York  journals  for  more  than  a 
year  and  a  half,  and  then  not  until  my  despatches  of  May,  1879, 
to  the  Department  of  State  giving  information  of  the  successful 
termination  of  the  negotiations  which  I  had  personally  conducted 
had  been  received.  Neither  Mr.  Dixon,  nor  his  agent,  nor  the 
engrossed  copy  of  Mr.  Stebbins'  letter  ever  came. 

During  my  trip  with  General  Grant  in  Upper  Egypt  (of  which 
I  have  written  in  ^' Along  the  Nile  with  General  Grant"),  I  ex- 
amined the  obelisk  at  Luxor,  and  the  two  at  Karnak,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  feasibility  of  their  removal.  My  conclusion  was  that 
the  only  obeUsk  in  Egypt  that  we  should  be  at  all  likely  to  obtain 
was  the  one  at  Luxor.  No  one  would  think  of  removing  that 
of  Hehopolis,  antedating  Cleopatra's  Needle  a  thousand  years 
and  standing  where  it  was  originally  placed  by  Usertesen — 
a  solitary  monument  marking  the  site  of  the  once  famous  city 
of  On. 

The  larger  of  the  two  obelisks  at  Karnak,  the  largest  obelisk 
known,  in  fact,  stood  where  it  was  placed  by  the  woman-king 
Hatshepsu  thirty-four  hundred  years  before.  The  smaller  one 
near  it,  that  of  Thutmosis  I,  whose  mummy  has  since  been  de- 
posited in  the  Museum  at  Cairo,  had  one  corner  broken.  It  was 
also  cracked  in  a  manner  that  would  render  its  removal  without 
further  injury  difficult,  if  not  impossible.  The  only  other  obe- 
lisks then  in  Egypt,  except  those  broken  into  fragments,  were 
that  of  Alexandria  and  that  of  Luxor. 

I  informed  General  Grant  of  the  correspondence  relative  to  pro- 
curing an  obelisk  and  asked  his  opinion  as  to  the  propriety  of 
my  attempting  to  obtain  one  on  my  own  initiative,  as  the  people 
in  New  York  seemed  to  have  abandoned  the  undertaking.    He 


LlV:^~ 


.:...>i^x 


j_^jsfe^3^^"_  Y 


Obelisk  of  Eamses  J I   at    Luxor:  Companion  of,  but  Larger  than, 
Tliat  of  the  Place  de  hi  Concorde,  Paris. 


Cleopatra's    Needle  149 

replied  that  he  could  see  no  objection  to  my  doing  so  and  advised 
me  to  procure  one  if  possible. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  I  had  an  interview  with  the  Khedive 
at  the  Palace  of  Abdin  for  the  purpose  of  laying  the  matter  be- 
fore him.  I  knew  I  should  not  receive  a  direct  refusal.  The 
people  of  the  Orient,  especially  the  better  classes,  are  very  polite. 
They  have  very  little  of  the  brusque,  decisive,  Anglo-Saxon  way 
of  disposing  of  matters.  They  seldom  give  a  definite  refusal  to  a 
request.  Courtesy  toward  a  representative  of  a  foreign  power 
would  specially  require  that  such  a  request  should  be  taken  into 
consideration  and  that  a  hasty  answer  should  not  be  given,  un- 
less it  was  a  favorable  one. 

I  informed  his  Highness  that  the  people  of  the  United  States 
desired  one  of  the  ancient  obelisks  of  Egypt,  and  that  a  wealthy 
gentleman  of  New  York  had  offered  to  defray  the  expenses  of  its 
transportation  and  of  its  erection  in  that  city.  I  mentioned  the 
obelisk  of  Paris  and  that  of  London  and  the  natural  desire  of 
our  people  to  also  have  one  in  their  metropolis.  I  explained,  in 
the  course  of  the  conversation,  that  our  nation  was  so  young  and 
all  its  works  of  so  recent  a  date  that  one  of  the  ancient  monu- 
ments of  Egypt  would  be  much  more  highly  prized  in  the  United 
States  than  in  England  or  France.  I  called  attention  to  the  obe- 
lisk at  Alexandria  as  the  most  accessible  for  shipment,  but  added 
that,  if  his  Highness  concluded  to  favor  us  with  such  a  gift,  we 
should  be  much  pleased  with  any  his  Highness  might  select. 

I  found  the  subject  entirely  new  to  the  Khedive.  He  seemed, 
at  first,  to  be  surprised  at  the  proposal.  However,  after  various 
questions  and  observations,  he  said  that,  while  it  would  be  a 
great  pleasure  for  him  to  be  able  to  accede  to  my  wishes,  or  to  do 
anything  in  his  power  to  gratify  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
the  matter  would  have  to  be  seriously  considered.  As  to  the 
obelisk  at  Alexandria,  he  did  not  think  it  best  even  to  mention 
it,  since  the  people  of  that  city  would  be  opposed  to  its  removal. 


150  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

I  did  not  afterwards  make  any  special  mention  in  the  presence 
of  his  Highness  of  the  Alexandrian  obelisk,  although  that  was 
the  one  that  was  finally  given  us.  As  I  took  leave  of  the  Khedive 
he  said  I  could  call  his  attention  to  the  subject  at  some  future 
time. 

I  immediately  sent  a  despatch  to  Mr.  Evarts  informing  him 
of  the  subject  and  results  of  this  interview.  Other  conversations 
were  had  with  the  Khedive  regarding  the  matter,  without  any 
definite  results.  A  little  later  I  was  present  at  a  dinner  given  by 
the  Khedive  at  the  Palace  of  Abdin  and  it  was  on  this  occasion 
that  the  first  favorable  intimation  was  given  in  regard  to  the  obe- 
lisk. There  were  from  thirty  to  forty  persons  present,  among 
them  M.  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps.  After  dinner  the  company 
was  conversing  in  groups.  The  Khedive,  who  was  constantly 
shifting  his  place,  seemed  in  better  spirits  than  was  usual  for  him 
in  those  sad  days  of  financial  embarrassment.  He  approached 
me  and  invited  me  to  be  seated.  His  first  words  were,  ^'Well, 
Mr.  Farman,  you  would  like  an  obelisk?  " 

I  replied  that  we  would  like  one  very  much.  We  conversed 
some  minutes  on  the  subject,  without  his  Highness  giving  the 
least  intimation  of  his  intentions.  Some  one  came  to  join  us  and 
we  rose  and,  soon  after,  separated. 

A  few  minutes  later  I  was  in  conversation  with  M.  de  Lesseps. 
This  was  at  the  time  the  Khedive  was  about  to  establish  a  com- 
mission of  inquiry  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  the  net  revenues 
of  the  country  with  a  view  to  determining  what  rate  of  interest 
could  be  paid  on  the  public  debt.  There  had  been  an  almost 
total  failure  of  the  winter  crops  in  a  large  portion  of  Upper 
Egypt,  resulting  from  the  unprecedentedly  low  Nile  of  the  pre- 
vious year.  This  rendered  it  impossible,  in  the  opinion  of  his 
Highness,  to  continue  the  payment  of  interest  at  the  rate  of 
seven  per  cent  on  the  nearly  one  hundred  millions  of  pounds  of 
Egypt's  indebtedness.    He  had  named,  or  was  about  to  name, 


Cleopatra's    Needle  151 

M.  de  Lesseps  president  of  the  commission.  During  our  conversa- 
tion the  Khedive  joined  us.  M.  de  Lesseps,  turning  towards  him, 
repeated  something  I  had  just  said  about  the  best  manner  of 
ascertaining  the  amount  of  the  revenues.  Either  his  Highness 
did  not  hear,  or,  what  is  more  Hkely,  he  did  not  wish  to  enter 
upon  the  discussion  of  that  subject.  Interrupting  the  conversa- 
tion he  said,  ''Mr.  Farman  wishes  an  obelisk." 

M.  de  Lesseps,  who  was  a  fine  conversationalist,  and  always 
polite,  agreeable  and  quick  in  his  replies,  immediately  said,  ''That 
would  be  an  excellent  thing  for  the  people  of  the  United  States." 
Then,  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  during  which  time  the  Khe- 
dive seemed  to  await  his  further  reply,  he  added:  "I  do  not  see 
why  we  could  not  give  them  one.  It  would  not  injure  us  much 
and  it  would  be  a  very  valuable  acquisition  for  them." 

M.  de  Lesseps  had  been  so  long  in  Egypt  that  he  considered 
himself  as  one  of  the  country,  and,  in  speaking  of  Egyptian  mat- 
ters, was  accustomed  to  say  "we,"  "us,"  and  "ours."  The 
Khedive  simply  said,  "I  am  considering  the  matter"  and  turned 
to  speak  with  another  person  who  was  approaching. 

When  I  made  my  dinner  call,  two  or  three  days  afterwards, 
the  obelisk  was  again  mentioned.  His  Highness  said  that  he  had 
concluded  to  give  us  one,  but  not  that  of  Alexandria,  and  added 
that  he  would  take  measures  to  obtain  the  necessary  informa- 
tion and  inform  me  of  his  decision.  He  at  once  called  his  private 
secretary  and  directed  him  to  write  a  note  to  Brugsch  Bey  (after- 
wards Brugsch  Pasha),  requesting  a  list  and  description  of  all 
the  obelisks  remaining  in  Egypt,  and  an  opinion  as  to  which 
could  best  be  spared.  I  thanked  his  Highness  warmly,  and,  as  I 
was  leaving,  he  said  that  within  a  short  time  his  secretary  would 
inform  me  which  obelisk  we  could  have. 

It  was  not  many  days  after  this  interview  that  a  reception  and 
ball  was  given  at  the  Palace.  Brugsch  Bey  and  myself  happened 
to  meet  and,  after  the  exchange  of  a  few  words,  he  said  in  a  rather 


152  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

reproachful  tone,  "I  learn  you  are  trying  to  obtain  an  obelisk 
to  take  to  New  York." 

I  replied,  ''Why  not,  they  have  one  in  Paris,  and  one  in  Lon- 
don and  the  people  of  New  York  wish  one  also." 

He  answered:  ''You  will  create  a  great  amount  of  feeling;  all 
the  savants  of  Europe  will  oppose  it.  The  Khedive  has  asked 
me  to  give  a  description  of  the  obelisks  remaining  in  Egypt,  and 
to  state  which  one  can  best  be  spared.  I  have  sent  a  description 
of  the  obelisks,  but  I  shall  not  designate  one  to  be  taken  away, 
for  I  am  totally  opposed  to  the  removal  of  any  of  them." 

Not  desiring  to  enter  into  any  discussion  on  the  subject,  I 
replied  in  a  conciUatory  manner,  saying  that  it  was  of  no  great 
importance,  that  there  were  a  number  of  obelisks  in  Egypt,  and 
that  the  removal  of  one  would  not  make  much  difference.  He 
assured  me  that  I  would  encounter  a  great  deal  of  antagonism. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  an  opposition  that  was  to  delay  for 
more  than  a  year  the  completion  of  the  gift  which  his  Highness 
had  deliberately  determined  upon. 

Had  this  opposition  come  from  Egyptians  of  position,  who 
would  have  had  a  right  to  be  heard,  I  should  have  desisted  at 
once,  through  delicacy,  from  all  further  efforts  in  the  matter. 
It  came,  however,  wholly  from  Europeans  temporarily  residing 
in  Egypt,  who,  whatever  might  be  their  opinions  and  however 
well  founded  their  conclusions,  had  no  rights  to  protect  against 
the  United  States,  and,  consequently,  were  not  entitled  to  be 
considered.  It  was  purely  an  affair  between  Egypt  and  our- 
selves, and,  as  no  opposition  was  made  on  the  part  of  any  real 
Egyptian,  I  did  not  feel  bound  to  yield  to  the  opposition  of  others 
nor  have  any  scruples  about  taking  every  proper  means  to  over- 
come it. 

About  this  time  I  was  informed  by  the  English  Consul-General 
that  the  obelisk  at  Luxor,  the  only  one  I  then  had  hopes  of  ob- 
taining, belonged  to  his  people.    He  affirmed  that  it  was  given 


Cleopatra's    Needle  153 

to  them  at  the  same  time  that  the  one  at  Paris  was  given  to 
France,  and  announced  that  they  claimed  it  and  should  object 
to  its  being  removed  by  anyone  else.  The  Consul-General  ad- 
mitted that  he  did  not  know  that  they  should  ever  take  it,  but 
he  insisted  upon  their  right  to  do  so.  The  Khedive  afterwards 
said  to  me  that  it  was  true  that  the  obelisk  at  Luxor  was  offered 
to  the  English  at  the  same  time  that  its  companion  was  given 
to  the  French.  They  did  not  take  it,  but  they  objected  now  to  its 
being  given  to  anyone  else.  Under  the  circumstances  it  would 
not  do  to  interfere  with  it. 

This  was  a  new  and  unexpected  complication.  The  Luxor 
obelisk  had  been  offered  to  the  English  by  Mohammed  Ali,  fifty 
years  before,  because  he  did  not  wish  to  create  any  ill  feelings  on 
account  of  his  gift  to  France.  It  was  not  then  accepted  and  there 
was  no  intention  of  taking  it.  Another  had  in  the  meantime  been 
accepted  and  removed  to  London.  It  was  evident  that  claim  was 
laid  to  this  simply  to  prevent  its  going  to  the  United  States. 


154  EgyP^   ^^^   ^^^    Betrayal 


CHAPTER  XV 


GIFT  OF  THE  OBELISK 


Weeks  passed  and  no  note  came  from  the  Khedive.  In  the 
meantime  his  private  secretary  had  informed  me  verbally  that 
no  obelisk  had  been  designated  to  be  given  to  the  United  States, 
for  the  reason  that  Brugsch  Bey  had  reported  no  opinion  as  to 
the  one  that  could  best  be  spared.  I  knew  that  special  objections 
were  being  made  in  the  case  of  each  obelisk,  that  all  the  Em'opean 
influences  were  combined  against  me,  and  that  the  English  claim 
to  the  Luxor  obelisk  was  only  one  of  the  results  of  this  combina- 
tion. 

Once  afterwards,  during  the  spring  of  1878,  the  matter  was 
mentioned  by  the  Khedive.  He  spoke  of  the  English  claiming 
the  Luxor  obelisk  and  said  that  he  had  not  yet  fixed  upon  one 
to  be  given  to  us,  but  that  he  would  do  so  at  no  very  distant  day. 

Serious  difficulties  came  upon  Egypt  about  this  time.  The 
Khedive  was  harassed  and  vexed  in  many  ways.  M.  de  Lesseps, 
well  knowing  that  he  could  not  do  justice  to  Egypt  and  at  the 
same  time  please  the  Paris  bankers,  had  gone  to  France  without 
entering  upon  the  duties  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry.  The 
Commission  had  been  organized,  however.  It  was  composed  of 
persons  who  had  been  selected  in  the  interests  of  the  bondholders, 
and  its  work  progressed  with  rapidity.  Among  the  measures  of 
economy  it  demanded  was  the  dismissal  of  many  Government 
employees,  and  the  Americans  in  the  military  service  of  the 
Khedive  were  among  the  first  to  be  discharged.    Without  any 


Gift   of  the    Obelisk  155 

previous  notice,  they  were  informed  that  their  terms  of  service 
were  ended.  They  all  had  considerable  amounts  of  arrears  of 
pay  due  them,  and  some  of  them  had  disputed  claims  and  de- 
mands for  indemnity  which  compUcated  their  relations  with  the 
Government  and  rendered  a  settlement  of  their  accounts  difficult. 

I  was  called  upon  to  aid  my  coimtrymen  and  found  myself 
suddenly  thrown  into  an  unpleasant  contest.  In  view  of  this 
depressed  state  of  Egyptian  affairs  and  the  embarrassments  with 
which  the  Khedive  found  himself  surrounded,  there  was  no  time 
for  him  to  think  of  the  obelisk  and  any  mention  of  it  on  my  part 
would  have  been  discourteous.  Therefore,  I  left  Egypt  about 
the  middle  of  July,  without  again  referring  to  the  subject,  on  a 
leave  of  absence,  with  permission  to  visit  the  United  States. 

Early  in  October,  a  few  days  before  I  sailed  from  New  York 
on  my  return,  I  had  an  interview  with  Mr.  Evarts  in  which  I 
informed  him  of  the  state  of  the  negotiations  relative  to  an  obe- 
lisk. He  said  he  would  be  very  much  pleased  if  I  could  obtain 
one,  and  that  he  was  ready  to  do  anything  he  properly  could  to 
aid  me. 

On  my  arrival  in  Egypt  in  November,  I  found  a  great  change 
in  Governmental  matters.  What  was  called  the  Anglo-French 
Ministry  had  been  formed  with  Nubar  Pasha  at  its  head.  It 
had  been  organized  on  the  theory  of  ^'responsibiUty."  A  respon- 
sible ministry  is  responsible,  while  in  powder,  for  the  government 
it  administers ;  but  it  is  supposed  to  be  responsible  or  accountable 
to  some  person,  or  body  of  persons.  This  Ministry  assumed  to 
act  independently  of  the  Khedive,  as  the  English  Ministry  does 
of  the  Queen.  But  in  England  there  is  a  parliament  to  which 
the  Ministers  are  accountable,  to  this  extent  at  least,  that  they 
must  have  its  support  or  resign. 

In  Egypt  there  was  no  parliament,  all  the  legislative  as  well  as 
the  executive  power  being  vested  in  the  Khedive.  There  was  a 
Chamber  of  Notables,  which  was  sometimes  assembled  to  vote 


^5^  ^gyP^   ^^^   ^^^    Betrayal 

on  questions  of  extraordinary  taxation.  This  Chamber  was  con- 
voked in  December,  1887,  or  in  January  following,  but  was 
utterly  ignored  by  the  Ministry,  which  even  refused  to  submit  to 
it  a  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Minister  of  Finance.  The 
Ministers,  according  to  their  theory,  were  independent  of  all 
restraint,  and,  as  it  afterwards  appeared,  no  one  could  rightfully 
remove  them.    At  least  this  was  affirmed. 

Such  was  the  Ministry  through  which  the  obelisk  was  now  to 
come  if  at  all,  the  Khedive,  as  claimed,  having  no  authority  in 
the  premises. 

Mariette  Bey,  who  had  spent  the  summer  at  the  Exposition 
in  Paris,  had  arrived,  and  I  knew  he  was  making  strenuous 
opposition  to  the  gift.  He  was  then  at  the  head  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Antiquities  and  his  opposition  could  not  but  embarrass 
and  delay  the  negotiations.  At  one  time  it  seemed  likely  to 
wholly  defeat  the  intentions  of  the  Khedive. 

On  my  arrival  I  paid  the  customary  visit  to  the  Khedive  and 
had  frequent  interviews  with  him  afterwards,  but  no  mention 
was  made  of  the  obelisk  for  a  number  of  weeks.  He  finally 
signified  his  willingness  and  desire  to  complete  the  gift,  but  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  intimate  to  me  what  I  very  well  knew,  that 
the  matter  of  the  obelisk  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Ministers. 

Though  I  had  little  faith  in  any  long  continuance  of  the  exist- 
ing state  of  things,  I  took  occasion  to  bring  the  matter  of  the 
obelisk  before  his  Excellency,  Nubar  Pasha,  whom  I  had  never 
seen  until  my  late  arrival  in  Egypt.  He  had  been  in  disfavor  with 
the  Khedive  and  had  resided  in  Europe  since  1875,  being  re- 
called to  head  the  Ministry  at  the  instance  of  certain  European 
Powers. 

I  found  that  he  already  understood  the  question,  not  through 
the  Khedive,  but  through  those  who  were  opposed  to  the  gift. 
He  took  a  fair  view  of  the  matter,  however,  and  said  that,  if  the 
Khedive  had  expressed  his  intention  of  giving  us  an  obelisk,  it 


Gift   of  the    Obelisk  157 

should  be  considered  as  a  ^^  fait  accompli,''  and  that  there  was  no 
reason  why  the  Ministry  should  oppose  it.  He  promised  to  see 
the  Khedive,  learn  exactly  what  had  been  done,  and  then  carry 
out  his  Highness'  wishes.  He  added,  hovfever,  that  if  it  were  a 
new  and  open  question,  he  should  oppose  it. 

Not  long  afterwards  he  informed  me  that  he  had  seen  the 
Khedive,  and  that  his  Highness  said  that  he  had  promised  an 
obelisk  and  desired  to  have  the  promise  fulfilled.  His  Excel- 
lency added  that  he  w^ould  take  the  necessary  measures  for  that 
purpose. 

About  this  time  Mariette  Bey  laid  before  the  Council  of  Minis- 
ters a  memorial  on  the  subject,  in  which  he  made  strenuous 
opposition  to  the  removal  of  any  of  the  obelisks  of  Egypt,  and 
particularly  set  forth  the  sacredness  of  the  obeHsks  at  Karnak 
and  Heliopolis.  It  was  this  memorial  and  the  declarations  of 
Mariette  that  afterwards  determined  which  obeUsk  should  be 
given  us.  He  undoubtedly  thought  that  there  would  be  suffi- 
cient opposition  from  other  sources  to  prevent  the  removal  of 
the  obelisk  at  Alexandria;  that  the  EngUsh  would  take  care  of 
theirs  at  Luxor;  and  that,  if  he  could  prevent  the  selection  of 
either  of  those  at  Karnak,  or  the  one  at  Heliopolis,  the  project 
would  be  defeated.^ 

In  February  Nubar  Pasha  informed  me  that  the  English 
claimed  the  obelisk  at  Luxor  and  that  Mariette  Bey  w^as  so 
strongly  opposed  to  the  removal  of  those  at  Karnak  and  Heli- 
opoHs  that  he  had  determined  to  give  us  the  one  at  Alexandria, 
Cleopatra's  Needle.  He  at  the  same  time  prepared  and  handed 
his  clerk  a  memorandum  of  a  despatch  to  the  Minister  of  Public 

^  Previous  to  the  time  of  his  being  employed  by  the  Egyptian  Government, 
Mariette  Bey  took  to  Paris  the  finest  collection  of  antiquities  that  has  ever  been 
removed  from  Egypt.  A  large,  and  the  most  valuable,  part  of  the  collection 
was  obtained  only  by  long  and  strenuous  diplomatic  pressure  and  by  keeping 
the  secret,  during  the  negotiations,  of  what  had  been  found.  The  collection, 
numbering  about  seven  thousand  objects,  is  still  in  the  Museum  of  the  Louvre. 


^  5  ^  -^SyP^   ^^^   ^^^    Betrayal 

Works  who  represented  France  in  the  Ministry,  asking  him  to 
institute  the  necessary  formalities  for  its  delivery.  Whether  this 
despatch  was  ever  sent  I  do  not  know.  Two  or  three  days  after- 
wards, events  happened  that  threw  Egypt  into  intense  excite- 
ment and  compelled  Nubar  Pasha  to  retire  from  the  Ministry. 

A  large  number  of  Egyptian  officers  and  soldiers  had  been  dis- 
charged, without  receiving  their  arrears  of  pay.  It  was  also  just 
at  this  time  that  we  w^ere  getting  the  details  of  the  famine  in 
Upper  Egypt  during  the  previous  months  of  November  and  De- 
cember, and  the  public  feeling  had  become  very  hostile  towards 
what  was  known  as  the  European  Ministry.  This  state  of  excite- 
ment culminated  on  the  18th  of  February  in  a  street  attack  by 
the  discharged  officers  upon  Mr.  Rivers  Wilson  and  Nubar  Pasha, 
as  they  were  leaving  their  departments  to  go  to  their  noon-day 
meal.  The  officers  demanded  their  arrears  of  salaries  and,  on 
payment  being  refused,  took  the  Ministers  back  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Finance  and  held  them  prisoners  until  information  was 
conveyed  to  the  Khedive  who  came  personally  to  their  relief.  It 
was  then  only  with  great  difficulty,  and  after  some  shots  had 
been  fired,  that  order  was  restored. 

Nubar  Pasha  resigned  the  next  morning.  The  EngHsh  and 
French  Ministers,  supported  by  their  respective  Governments, 
retained  their  places  and,  after  thirty  days  of  diplomatic  nego- 
tiations, the  Ministry  was  reorganized,  but  under  such  conditions 
that  the  two  European  Ministers  could  virtually  control  the 
Government.  This  reorganized  Ministry  was  not  destined  to 
last  long.  Turns  of  the  wheel  of  fortune  were  frequent  in  Egypt 
and  they  generally  happened  when  least  expected.  It  is  called  a 
country  of  surprises,  and  there  is  an  Oriental  proverb,  according 
to  which  only  what  is  intended  to  be  provisional  is  lasting.  An 
Arab  does  not  finish  his  house  through  fear  that  some  accident 
will  befall  it  or  its  occupants. 

The  new  regime  was  supposed  to  be  permanent.    Telegraphic 


Gift   of  the   Obelisk  159 

lines  had  been  freely  used  and  the  combined  diplomatic  wisdom 
of  two  great  European  Powers  called  into  action.  Conditions 
were  formulated  and  imposed  that  were  designed  to  insure  the 
immovabiUty  of  the  Ministers.  When  the  work  was  completed, 
it  was  supposed  that  there  was  at  least  one  unchangeable  in- 
stitution in  Egypt.  The  reorganized  Ministry  was  henceforth 
to  be  an  immovable  fixture  in  the  governmental  machinery.  But 
the  Arab  proverb  held  good  and  the  structure  which  rested  on 
laborious  negotiations  lasting  thirty  days,  endured  just  eighteen. 
On  the  7th  of  April  occurred  what  was  called.the  ^^ cowp  d'etat'^ 
of  the  Khedive,  Ismail  Pasha. 

The  action  of  the  new  Ministry  was  such  that  the  Khedive 
soon  afterwards  claimed  it  to  be  necessary,  for  the  safety  of  the 
country,  that  he  should  again  take  the  Government  into  his  own 
hands  and  form  a  Ministry  composed  wholly  of  Egyptians.  He 
requested  Cherif  Pasha  to  form  and  take  the  presidency  of  a  new 
Ministry.  The  trust  was  accepted  and  the  Ministry  was  formed. 
Once  more  the  Khedive  was  the  real  as  well  as  the  nominal  chief 
and  head  of  the  Government,  but  the  diplomatic  and  political 
circles  of  Europe  were  thrown  into  a  state  of  excitement.  At 
Paris,  where  the  feeling  against  the  Khedive  was  the  most  in- 
tense, his  dethronement  was  loudly  demanded. 

I  had  known  Cherif  Pasha  since  the  time  of  my  first  arrival  in 
Egypt.  He  was  admitted  by  all  parties  to  be  a  noble,  honest  and 
just  man,  who  never  entered  into  intrigues  or  speculations.  In 
his  youth  he  had  received  a  good  European  education.  He  had 
commenced  his  career  as  an  army  officer  and  risen  to  the  rank  of 
colonel,  and  afterwards  had  had  experience  in  every  department 
of  the  Government.  Always  frank  and  sincere,  he  enjoyed  more 
of  the  confidence  of  the  people  than  any  other  person  the  Khedive 
could  call  into  his  service. 

It  was  not  many  days  before  matters  were  again  running 
smoothly  so  far  as  the  local  Government  of  Egypt  was  concerned. 


i6o  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

The  only  difficulties  were  in  Paris  and  London,  where  potent 
influences  were  at  work  against  his  Highness.  In  Egypt,  the 
native  public  sentiment  was  one  of  hostiUty  to  being  governed 
by  foreigners.  As  a  result  of  this  sentiment,  there  arose  about 
this  time  a  faction  styling  itself  the  ^'National  Party,"  having 
for  its  motto  ''Egypt  for  the  Egyptians."  It  was  small  in  num- 
bers and  to  a  large  extent  necessarily  secret  in  its  action,  but  its 
feeling  of  antagonism  to  ''foreign  rule"  was  in  accord  with  that 
of  the  native  population. 

A  number  of  European  Governments  were  at  this  time,  in 
consequence  of  some  real  or  supposed  interest,  claiming  a  share 
in  the  Government  of  Egypt,  and  vying  with  each  other  for  a 
preponderance  of  influence  and  power.  The  Government  of 
the  United  States,  having  no  poUtical  purposes  to  carry  out  in 
this  country,  did  not  assume  the  right  to  interfere  with  its 
Government.  It  was,  consequently,  able  to  keep  itself  free  from 
all  political  complications.  Under  these  circimistances,  there 
was  naturally  the  kindest  feeling  among  the  Egyptians  toward 
our  Government  and  people. 

Cherif  Pasha  was  conversant  with  the  negotiations  relative  to 
the  obelisk.  Though  the  new  Ministry  had  been  organized  on 
the  same  theory  of  "  responsibiUty  "  as  the  one  it  replaced,  I  had 
good  reasons  to  believe  that  his  Excellency  would  not  put  any 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  expressed  intentions 
of  the  Khedive. 

About  a  month  after  the  so-called  "coup  d'etat/^  political 
affairs  became  entirely  quiet,  and  it  seemed  for  the  moment  as 
if  the  European  Powers  were  to  acquiesce  in  the  new  order  of 
things.  A  convenient  opportunity  occurring,  I  suggested  to 
Chei  if  Pasha,  that  I  would  like  to  have  the  matter  of  the  obelisk 
terminated.  He  said  he  would  take  the  first  opportunity  to  talk 
with  the  Khedive  and  that  his  Highness'  wishes,  whatever  they 
were,  should  be  carried  out.    Some  days  afterwards  when  I  was 


Gift   of  the   Obelisk  i6i 

calling  upon  him  for  another  purpose  he  told  me  that  the  ques- 
tion of  the  obelisk  had  been  considered  and  had  been  practically 
decided  in  my  favor,  but  that  he  desired  to  speak  to  the  Khedive 
once  more  on  the  subject.  He  added  that  he  should  see  him  that 
evening  and  if  I  would  call  on  the  morrow  at  eleven  o'clock,  he 
would  give  me  a  definite  answer.  This  I  was  led  to  understand 
would  be  a  favorable  one.  The  next  day  I  went  to  the  Ministry 
at  the  hour  designated,  but  was  informed  that  Cherif  Pasha  was 
at  the  Palace,  and  probably  with  the  Khedive. 

On  my  return  to  the  Consulate  I  stopped  to  visit  the  Pasha 
who  held  the  position  of  Keeper  of  the  Seal,  and  who  had  roomis 
in  one  part  of  the  Khedive's  residence.  I  found  there  two  of  the 
princes,  brothers  of  the  late  Khedive,  Tewfik  Pasha.  We  entered 
into  conversation,  and  coffee  was  served  according  to  the  uni- 
versal Oriental  custom.  In  a  few  minutes  Cherif  Pasha  came  in, 
and,  after  the  usual  salutations,  had  a  few  words  with  the  Keeper 
of  the  Seal  in  their  own  language.  Starting  to  leave,  he  gave  me 
an  invitation  to  accompany  him,  and,  bidding  good  morning  to 
the  others,  we  went  out  together.  On  shaking  hands  with  Cherif, 
I  noticed  that  he  was  much  agitated,  and  I  suspected  that  there 
was  important  and  perhaps  alarming  news  from  the  Cabinets  of 
Paris  and  London.  As  soon  as  we  were  in  the  hall,  his  Excellency 
commenced  a  conversation,  saying  that  he  presumed  I  had  been 
to  see  him,  that  he  regretted  not  having  been  at  the  Ministry, 
but  that  he  had  been  detained  by  important  business  with  the 
Khedive.  We  had  passed  through  a  long  hall  and  down  a  stair- 
way and  were  just  going  out  of  a  doorway  near  which  both  of  our 
carriages  were  awaiting  us  when  the  Pasha  said,  ''It  is  the  obe- 
lisk at  Alexandria  that  you  prefer,  is  it  not?" 

I  replied  that  that  one  was  more  conveniently  situated  for 
removal  than  the  others. 

''  Well,"  said  the  Pasha, ''  we  have  concluded  to  give  it  to  you." 

After  thanking  him,  I  said  that  I  ought  to  have  something  in 


1 62  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

\\Titing,  confirming  the  gift,  to  send  to  the  Secretary  of  State  at 
Washington.  I  said  further  that,  though  we  had  always  talked 
of  it  as  a  gift  to  the  United  States,  it  was  understood  that  it  was 
to  be  erected  in  New  York,  and  that  I  had  been  thinking  it  would 
be  better  to  give  it  directly  to  that  city,  as  otherwise  there  might 
be  some  compUcation  requiring  an  act  of  Congress. 

Cher  if  replied,  ''  We  give  you  the  obelisk,  do  as  you  wish  with 
it."  After  a  moment's  reflection  he  added: — ''Write  me  a  note 
indicating  what  you  wish  to  have  done.  State  that  all  the  ex- 
penses of  removal  are  to  be  paid  by  the  United  States,  or  by  the 
City  of  New  York  if  you  prefer.  Hand  the  note  to  my  Secretary- 
general  and  tell  him  to  prepare  an  answer  confirming  the  gift,  in 
accordance  with  the  suggestions  you  give,  and  to  bring  it  to  me 
for  my  signature." 

Two  horn's  later  I  handed  to  the  Secretary-general  of  the  De- 
partment of  Foreign  Affairs,  at  the  same  time  informing  him  of 
what  the  Pasha  had  said,  a  letter  of  which  the  following  is  a 
translation  from  the  French: — 


"  Agency  and  Consulate-General  of  the  United  States  at  Cairo,  May  17,  1879. 
"Excellency; 

"  Referring  to  the  different  conversations  that  I  have  had  the  honor  to  have 
with  your  Excellency  in  which  you  have  informed  me  that  the  Government  of 
his  Highness,  the  Khedive,  is  disposed  to  present  to  the  City  of  New  York,  to 
be  transported  and  erected  there,  the  obelisk  of  Alexandria,  I  should  be  pleased 
if  your  Excellency  would  have  the  kindness  to  definitely  confirm  in  writing 
the  gift  of  this  monument. 

"  It  is  understood  that  its  transportation  is  to  be  effected  at  the  expense  of 
certain  citizens  of  the  said  City  of  New  York. 

"I  beg  to  assure  your  Excellency  in  advance  of  the  warm  thanks  of  my 
Government  for  having  thus  favorably  responded  to  the  representations  I 
have  made  to  the  Government  of  his  Highness  the  Khedive,  in  accordance 
with  the  instructions  that  I  have  received  on  this  subject. 

"  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  monument  which  is  thus  soon  to  be 
transported  to  and  erected  in  the  City  of  New  York,  will  always  be  a  souvenir 
and  a  pledge  of  the  friendship  that  has  ever  existed  between  the  Government 
of  the  United  States  and  that  of  his  Highness,  the  Khedive. 


The  Obelisk,  Known  as  Cleopatra's  Xeeclle,  as  It  Stood 

at  Alexandria,  Showing  the  Xearly  Effaced 

Hieroglyphics  on  the  Land  Side. 


Gift   of  the   Obelisk  163 


"  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  accept  the  renewed  assurance  of  my  high  con- 
sideration. 

Signed:     "E.  E.  Farman, 

"To  his  Excellency  Cherif  Pasha,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  President  of 
the  Council  of  Ministers." 

The  next  day  I  received  the  following  reply  which  I  have  trans- 
lated from  the  French. 

"Cairo,  May  18th,  1879. 
"To  Mr.  Farman,  Agent  and  Consul-General  of  the  United  States. 

"Mr.  Agent  &  Consul-General: 

"  I  have  taken  cognizance  of  the  despatch  which  you  did  me  the  honor  of 
writing  on  the  17th  of  the  current  month  of  May. 

"  In  reply  I  hasten  to  transmit  to  you  the  assurance,  Mr.  Agent  &  Consul- 
General,  that  the  Government  of  the  Khedive  having  taken  into  consideration 
your  representations  and  the  desire  which  you  have  expressed  in  the  name  of 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  of  America,  consents,  in  fact,  to  make 
a  gift  to  the  City  of  New  York  of  the  obelisk  known  as  Cleopatra's  Needle, 
which  is  at  Alexandria  on  the  sea-shore. 

"The  local  authorities  will  therefore  be  directed  to  deliver  this  obelisk  to 
the  representative  of  the  American  Government,  and  to  facilitate,  in  every- 
thing that  shall  depend  upon  them,  the  removal  of  this  monument,  which 
according  to  the  terms  of  your  despatch  is  to  be  done  at  the  exclusive  cost 
and  expense  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

"  I  am  happy,  Mr.  Agent  &  Consul-General,  to  have  to  announce  to  you  this 
decision,  which  while  giving  to  the  Great  City  an  Egyptian  monument,  to 
which  is  attached  as  you  know,  a  real  archaeological  interest,  will  also  be,  I 
am  as  yourself  convinced,  another  souvenir  and  another  pledge  of  the  friend- 
ship that  has  constantly  existed  between  the  Government  of  the  United  States 
and  that  of  the  Khedive. 

"  Be  pleased  to  accept,  Mr.  Agent  and  Consul-General,  the  expression  of  my 
high  consideration. 

Signed:     "Cherif." 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  notes  that  the  obeUsk  was  given  directly 
to  the  City  of  New  York,  and  not,  as  is  stated  in  the  inscription 
on  a  claw  of  one  of  the  crabs  upon  which  it  now  rests,  to  the 
United  States. 

On  the  22d  day  of  May  I  sent  Mr.  Secretary  Evarts,  the  fol- 
lowing telegram: — ''The  Government  of  the  Khedive  has  given 


164  -'^gyP^   ^^^^   ^^^    Betrayal 

to  the  City  of  New  York  the  obeUsk  at  Alexandria,  known  as 
Cleopatra's  Needle."  I  also,  on  the  same  day,  forwarded  to  him 
a  despatch  enclosing  copies  of  the  notes  that  had  been  exchanged 
between  Cherif  Pasha  and  myself. 

The  obelisk  was  secured,  but  the  compUcations  in  the  affairs 
of  Egypt  continued.  On  the  27th  day  of  June  the  Khedive 
abdicated  in  favor  of  his  son,  Mehemet  Tewfik  Pasha,  who,  on 
the  same  day,  was  proclaimed  Khedive  of  Egypt. 

The  experiment  of  a  European  Ministry  was  not  tried  again. 
Cherif  Pasha  was  continued  at  the  head  of  the  Administration 
during  the  summer,  but  early  in  the  autumn  what  was  known  as 
the  Riaz  Ministry  was  formed. 

The  final  negotiations  by  which  the  obeUsk  was  secured  had 
been  conducted  so  quietly  that  the  first  pubUc  information  in 
Egypt  that  the  gift  had  been  made  came  from  New  York 
through  the  medium  of  Enghsh  newspapers.  Very  little  was 
then  said  upon  the  subject  by  any  of  the  local  journals,  but  as 
soon  as  the  Riaz  Ministry  was  organized  an  attempt  was  made, 
through  the  influence  of  certain  Europeans,  to  have  the  action 
of  the  late  Government  reversed.  The  matter  was  two  or  three 
times  considered  in  the  Council  of  Ministers,  and  commented 
upon  by  the  European  press  of  Egypt.  The  Ministers,  however, 
finding  that  the  gift  had  been  confirmed  in  writing,  by  an  ex- 
change of  official  notes,  decided  that  it  was  too  late  for  them  to 
take  any  action  in  the  matter.  Lieutenant-Commander  Gor- 
rings  arrived  in  October,  1879,  to  effect  the  removal  of  the  obe- 
lisk, and  the  necessary  orders  were  given  to  the  local  authorities 
of  Alexandria  for  its  delivery. 

On  the  receipt  of  my  despatch  of  the  22d  of  May  informing 
him  of  the  successful  termination  of  the  negotiations.  Secretary 
Evarts  wrote  me  a  private  letter,  and  at  the  same  time  sent  me 
an  official  despatch,  dated  June  13th,  1879.  In  the  latter  he 
said: — 


Gift   of  the   Obelisk  165 

''  I  have  to  acknowledge  the  reception  of  your  despatch  of  the 
22nd  ultimo,  with  its  enclosures  in  which  you  have  informed  the 
Department  that  the  negotiations  entered  into  to  procure  an 
Egyptian  obelisk  for  the  City  of  New  York  have  been  successful, 
and  that  the  Government  of  his  Highness  the  Khedive  has  gen- 
erously presented  to  that  city  the  obelisk  known  as  Cleopatra's 
Needle. 

^'It  is  a  source  of  great  gratification  to  this  Government,  that 
through  the  generosity  of  the  Khedive  this  country  is  soon  to 
come  into  the  possession  of  such  an  interesting  monument  of 
antiquity  as  Cleopatra's  Needle.  You  are  therefore  instructed 
to  inform  his  Highness  that  the  great  favor  he  has  conferred  upon 
this  RepubHc  by  making  this  gift  is  highly  appreciated  and  that 
it  is  felt  that  such  a  rare  mark  of  friendship  cannot  but  tend  to 
still  further  strengthen  the  amicable  relations  which  have  ever 
subsisted  between  the  two  countries  and  will  cause  the  memory 
of  the  Khedive  to  be  long  and  warmly  cherished  by  the  American 
people. 

''The  historical  account  of  the  obelisks  of  Egypt,  which  your 
despatch  contains  has  been  read  with  interest." 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  obehsks  and  other  ancient 
monuments  of  the  country  are  slightly  prized  by  the  educated 
Egyptians.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  highly  valued  and  guarded 
with  great  jealousy.  Considering  all  the  circumstances,  the 
Khedive  could  not  have  furnished  a  stronger  proof  of  his  respect 
for  the  Government  and  people  of  the  United  States  than  this 
gift  of  Cleopatra's  Needle.  I  have  abundant  evidence  of  the 
great  admiration  he  had  for  our  institutions,  though  he  knew 
that  nothing  of  the  kind  was  possible  in  the  Orient. 

The  other  obelisks  that  have  been  removed  from  Egypt  were 
obtained  under  circumstances  entirely  different  from  those  now 
existing.    They  were  for  the  most  part  removed  by  the  Roman 


1 66  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

conquerors.  Only  two,  besides  Cleopatra's  Needle,  have  been 
taken  away  in  modern  times,  that  of  Paris  and  that  of  London. 
The  latter  was  given  to  England  in  1820,  at  a  time  when  Egypt 
was  in  a  condition  entirely  different  from  that  of  to-day.  Fur- 
thermore, this  obelisk  had  been  lying  for  centuries  nearly  buried 
in  sand  and  rubbish.  It  was  much  injured,  and,  in  comparison 
with  the  standing  obelisks,  little  prized.  Yet  it  was  considered 
a  gift  worthy  to  be  bestowed  upon  his  Majesty,  George  the 
Fourth,  in  return  for  favors  and  presents  received  from  him  by 
Mohammed  Ali  Pasha,  then  Viceroy  of  Egypt. 

The  obelisk  now  at  Paris  w^as  given  to  France  ten  years  later, 
in  1830,  on  account,  it  is  claimed,  of  services  rendered  to  the 
Government  of  Egypt.  It  stood  at  Luxor,  then  a  small  village 
of  mud  huts,  situated  six  hundred  miles  up  the  Nile  and  inhabited 
by  a  few  hundred  natives. 

There  were  three  other  obelisks  standing  in  this  vicinity  and 
many  colossal  ruins,  the  most  magnificent  and  interesting  in  the 
world.  The  place  was  at  that  period,  however,  seldom  visited 
by  Europeans,  and  the  removal  of  one  of  its  obelisks  was  not  an 
event  to  create  any  opposition.  Yet  the  monument  was  consid- 
ered an  important  embeUishment  of  the  city  of  Paris. 

The  European  press  of  Egypt,  commenting  in  the  fall  of  1879 
upon  the  subject  of  the  removal  of  Egyptian  monuments,  laid 
great  stress  upon  the  fact  that  the  London  and  Paris  obelisks 
were  both  given  on  account  of  services  and  favors  rendered  by 
the  Governments  of  the  countries  to  which  they  were  presented, 
while  there  was  no  pretence  of  any  such  consideration  for  the 
gift  of  Cleopatra's  Needle  to  the  City  of  New  York. 

This  only  proves  that  the  courtesy  was  prompted  by  the  re- 
spect and  kindly  feelings  of  a  sovereign  towards  a  government 
and  a  people  who  had  always  been  his  friends,  and  who  had  no 
selfish  designs  to  further  against  him,  his  subjects  or  his  country. 

In  the  acceptance  of  the  obelisk  the  City  of  New  York  assumed 


Gift   of  the    Obelisk  167 

a  solemn  obligation  toward  future  generations,  towards  all  of 
those  millions  of  the  citizens  of  the  Republic  who  shall  in  the 
coming  centuries  visit  the  great  metropohs.  That  obHgation  is 
to  preserve  the  monument  which  has  been  placed  in  its  keeping. 
It  has  come  to  us  through  thirty-five  centuries,  and,  after  all  the 
vicissitudes  through  which  it  has  passed,  is  still  in  a  fair  state  of 
preservation.  It  would  now  be  a  shameful  negligence,  as  repre- 
hensible as  wanton  destruction,  on  the  part  of  those  having  the 
custody  of  this  noble  monument,  to  allow  it  to  be  unnecessarily 
injured  for  the  want. of  that  provident  care  which  prudence 
demands  should  be  bestowed  upon  it. 

The  injuries  it  has  aheady  received  are  generally  supposed  by 
those  who  have  only  slightly  examined  the  subject  to  have  re- 
sulted from  its  having  stood  for  a  long  time  near  the  sea.  This 
is  a  mistake.  It  was  not  the  sides  facing  the  sea  that  were  in- 
jured. I  have  elsewhere  shown  that  these  injuries  could  only 
have  been  produced  by  the  alkalies  of  the  soil  in  which  the  obe- 
lisk probably  lay  for  several  centuries,  or  by  fire.  It  is  probable 
that  the  principal  injuries  were  caused  by  the  latter  agency. 

It  is  well  known  that  polished  granite  successfully  resists  all 
atmospheric  influences  in  cold  as  well  as  in  warm  climates.  But 
when  this  polish  is  once  removed,  and  a  rough  uneven  surface 
is  presented,  certain  atmospheric  and  climatic  influences  are 
injurious. 


1 68  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  REMOVAL  OF  THE  OBELISK  AND  MASONIC  EMBLEMS 

Cleopatra's  Needle  is  a  single  shaft  of  red  granite  from  the 
quarries  of  Syene,  now  Assuan,  at  the  First  Cataract  of  the  Nile, 
seven  hundred  miles  from  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  sixty-eight 
feet  ten  inches  in  height  and  seven  feet  ten  inches  by  eight  feet 
two  inches  at  its  base.  It  tapers  gradually  upwards  to  six  feet 
one  inch  by  six  feet  three  inches,  terminating  in  a  pyramidion 
seven  feet  high.  Its  weight  is  about  two  hundred  and  twenty 
tons.  It  stood  upon  the  sea-shore  at  Alexandria,  fifty  feet  from 
the  water  line,  with  its  base  buried  in  sand  and  earth  that  had 
been  accumulating  for  centuries. 

The  base  of  the  obelisk,  when  uncovered,  was  found  to  be  con- 
siderably rounded.  It  rested  on  two  copper  supports  cast  in 
the  form  of  sea-crabs  and  placed  under  opposite  corners.  Under 
a  third  corner  was  a  stone,  but  the  fourth  corner  was  unsup- 
ported. This  left  a  space  between  the  obelisk  and  its  pedestal  of 
eight  inches.  There  was  a  thin  iron  wedge  wholly  oxydized  on 
the  top  of  the  stone  support.  The  bodies  of  the  two  crabs  were 
about  twelve  inches  long,  measuring  from  the  head  back,  and 
they  were  sixteen  inches  broad  and  eight  inches  high.  Each, 
when  entire,  weighed  over  five  hundred  pounds.  Bars  of  the 
same  material  as  the  crabs  ran  from  their  upper  and  lower  sur- 
faces into  the  obelisk  and  the  pedestal.  These  bars  were  over 
three  inches  square  and  nine  inches  long,  forming  dowels  which 


IMacino-  the  Olx'lisk  in  the  Jlold  ol'  the  Steamer  Dcssong 
at  Alexandria. 


Removal   of  the   Obelisk  169 

held  the  obelisk  securely  in  its  place.  The  dowels  were  sur- 
rounded and  made  firm  in  the  mortises  with  lead. 

Originally,  there  were  four  crabs,  the  two  missing  ones  having 
been  removed  by  the  natives  for  the  metal.  The  remaining 
crabs  were  much  injured.  The  claws  and  legs  of  one  had  been 
removed.  The  other  had  only  one  leg  left  and  even  this  w^as 
broken  in  turning  the  obeUsk  to  a  horizontal  position.  It  is 
probable  that  the  crabs  were  placed  under  the  obeUsk  as  supports 
at  the  time  of  its  reerection  by  the  Romans,  on  account  of  the 
rounded  condition  of  its  base.  One  wTiter  conjectures  that  the 
form  of  the  crab  was  chosen  to  satisfy  the  superstition  of  both 
the  Egyptians  and  Romans. 

The  obehsk  rested  upon  a  pedestal  formed  of  a  single  block 
of  Syenitic  granite  tapering  upward  in  about  the  same  propor- 
tion as  the  obehsk.  It  was  seven  feet  high,  averaged  nine  feet 
square  and  weighed  forty-eight  tons.  The  substructure  on  which 
the  pedestal  rested  was  four  feet  nine  inches  high  and  the  under 
surface  of  its  lowest  step  w^as  only  eighteen  inches  above  the 
level  of  the  sea. 

At  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  obelisk  at  Alexandria,  a  httle 
over  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  the  surface  of  the  earth  at  this 
point  was  lower  than  the  lowest  step  of  the  pedestal.  There  was 
a  gradual  accumulation  of  sand  and  gravel  to  the  height  of  seven- 
teen feet,  burying  the  steps,  the  pedestal  and  finally  the  base  of 
the  obelisk.  During  the  same  period,  there  has  been  a  marked 
change  in  the  relative  position  of  the  land  and  sea.  Tombs  cut 
in  the  rocks  overlooking  the  sea  are  now^  partly  submerged  and 
constantly  washed  by  the  waves.  The  height  of  the  obelisk, 
measuring  from  the  base  of  the  lower  step,  was  eighty-one  feet 
two  inches. 

Lieutenant-Commander  Gorrings,  U.  S.  N.,  was  granted  a  leave 
of  absence  to  enable  him  to  remove  the  obeUsk  to  the  United 
States.    He  was  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Seaton  Schroeder, 


170  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

now  Captain,  and  late  Governor  of  Guam,  who  was  a  valuable 
assistant.  Heavy  constructions  were  made  in  the  United  States 
to  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  work. 

When  the  excavations  were  finished,  the  obelisk  was  encased 
with  planks,  and  stone  piers  were  erected  to  support  the  con- 
structions used  in  turning  it  to  a  horizontal  position.  These 
constFuctions  consisted  of  steel  frame-works  on  two  opposite  sides 
of  the  obelisk,  similar  in  form  to  the  iron  piers  of  a  bridge,  on  the 
top  of  which  were  placed  bearings  for  trunnions.  Heavy  plates, 
with  trunnions  cast  upon  them,  were  fastened  to  the  sides  of 
the  obelisk  by  means  of  long  bolts  or  rods  passing  from  one  to 
the  other  through  their  projecting  edges.  Four  pairs  of  heavy 
rods  ran  from  the  trunnion  plates  downward  and  through  the 
ends  of  heel  straps  that  passed  under  the  obelisk.  These  straps 
were  double-channeled  and  fastened  to  the  rods  by  nuts.  When 
the  base  of  the  obelisk  was  pushed  by  means  of  hydrauUc  jacks 
from  the  supports  on  which  it  rested,  its  whole  weight  was  sus- 
tained by  the  rods  and,  thus  supported,  it  was  swung  to  a  hori- 
zontal position,  turning  on  its  improvised  trunnions  like  a 
mammoth  cannon. 

Through  an  error  in  the  computation  of  the  weight  of  the 
upper  and  lower  parts,  the  trunnions  were  placed  too  low,  making 
that  part  of  the  obelisk  above  them  heavier  than  that  below. 
The  obelisk,  w^hen  once  started,  swung  very  quickly  and  struck 
with  great  force  upon  the  nest  of  planks  that  had  been  erected 
to  receive  it.  Happily,  it  was  not  broken,  though  the  great 
throng  of  people  present  were  startled  by  the  crashing  of  the 
planks.  It  was  a  fortunate  escape  from  a  serious  accident  to 
the  noble  monument.  A  similar  nest  of  planks  was  placed  under 
the  other  end  of  the  obelisk.  After  the  pedestal  and  foundations 
had  been  removed,  it  was  gradually  lowered  by  means  of  hy- 
draulic jacks  to  a  caisson  constructed  to  receive  it. 

The  caisson  was  pushed  into  the  sea,  towed  around  the  ancient 


Removal   of  the    Obelisk  171 

island  of  Pharos  and  into  the  harbor.  Here,  it  was  placed  with 
the  steamer  Dessoug  in  a  floating  dry-dock.  The  dock  was  closed, 
the  water  pumped  from  it  and  the  obeUsk  run  into  the  steamer 
through  a  hole  made  in  its  side  near  the  bow.  The  ways  on  which 
the  obelisk  was  moved  were  made  of  heavy  rails  of  channel  iron 
on  which  cannon  balls  were  used  as  rollers.  To  prevent  any 
injury  to  the  obeUsk  and  cover  its  uneven  surfaces,  similar  rails 
of  channel  iron  were  placed,  inverted,  under  the  obelisk  and  over 
the  balls.  On  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  in  New  York  the  same 
means  as  those  used  in  Alexandria  were  employed  in  unshipping 
and  erecting  the  obelisk. 

The  Dessoug  did  not  leave  Alexandria  until  the  12th  of  June, 
1880,  eight  months  having  been  employed  in  lowering  and  ship- 
ping the  obelisk  with  the  aid  of  the  most  approved  modern 
appliances  which  had  been  previously  prepared  for  this  special 
purpose.  Six  months  more,  after  its  arrival  in  New  York,  were 
required  for  its  unshipment  and  re  erection. 

When  we  compare  this  work  with  that  accomplished  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nile  thirty-five  hundred  years  ago,  we  are  unable 
to  find  words  to  express  our  astonishment  at  the  skill  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians.  The  most  perfect  and  beautiful  of  the  ex- 
isting obelisks  is  one  of  those  that  stand  at  Karnak.  Its  weight 
is  nearly  twice  that  of  Cleopatra's  Needle.  According  to  hiero- 
glyphic inscriptions  on  its  base,  this  immense  monolith  was  cut 
from  its  native  bed  at  Assuan,  transported  one  hundred  and 
forty  miles  and  erected  on  the  pedestal  where  it  now  stands,  in 
seven  months.  The  work  appears  to  have  been  hastened  in  or- 
der that  the  erection  of  the  obelisk  might  '^  commemorate  an  an- 
niversary of  the  queen's  coronation."  We  can  excuse  the  satis- 
faction, the  pride,  the  egotism  of  the  wonderful  woman.  Queen 
Hatshepsu,  over  her  marvelous  achievement,  as  expressed  in  the 
following  inscription  which  she  had  chiseled  on  the  pedestal  of 
the  obelisk: 


172  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

''This  is  what  I  teach  to  mortals  who  shall  Uve  in  centuries  to 
come,  and  who  shall  inquire  concerning  the  monuments  I  have 
raised  to  my  father.  .  .  .  When  I  sat  in  the  palace  and  thought 
upon  him  who  made  me,  my  heart  hastened  me  to  erect  to  him 
two  obelisks  of  electrum  whose  tops  should  reach  the  sky  before 
the  august  gateway  between  the  two  great  pylons  of  king  Thut- 
mosis  I.  .  .  .  When  they  see  my  monuments  in  after  years  and 
speak  of  my  great  deeds,  let  them  beware  of  saying  '  I  know  not, 
I  know  not  why  it  was  determined  to  cover  this  monument  with 
gold  all  over.'  It  is  thus  that  it  hath  been  done,  that  my  name 
may  remain  and  live  forever.  This  single  block  of  granite  has 
been  cut  at  the  desire  of  My  Majesty  between  the  first  of  the 
second  month  of  Pirit  of  the  Vth  year  and  the  30th  of  the  fourth 
month  of  Shomti  of  the  Vlth  year  which  makes  seven  months 
from  the  day  when  they  began  to  quarry  it." 

If  we  credit  the  ancient  records,  there  were  formerly  obeUsks 
of  twice  the  weight  of  the  largest  now  existing.  The  broken 
statue  of  Ramses  II,  at  Thebes,  weighed  nearly  nine  hundred 
tons.  Herodotus  mentions  a  temple  of  Latona  in  the  sacred 
enclosure  at  Buto,  Egypt,  forty  cubits  square,  "made  from  one 
stone  "  and,  for  its  roof,  another  stone  laid  over  it,  having  a  cor- 
nice four  cubits  deep.^  A  stone  which  I  saw  cut,  but  still  remain- 
ing in  the  quarry,  at  Baalbec,  weighs  one  thousand  tons;  and 
there  are  in  the  walls  of  the  temple  of  that  place  three  stones  each 
weighing  nearly  one  thousand  tons.  That  part  of  the  wall  which 
contains  them  is  of  unknown  antiquity,  but  it  is  probably  con- 
temporaneous with  some  of  the  great  monuments  of  Egypt,  the 
ruins  of  which  abound  with  stones  of  gigantic  size. 

We  know  from  the  ancient  drawings  and  hieroglyphic  writings 
that  colossal  statues  were  drawn  on  sledges  and  that  obelisks 
were  sometimes  transported  by  boat  on  the  Nile  or  in  the  canals. 
By  what  means  the  great  obelisks  were  placed  on  their  pedestals 

1  Her.  II,  155. 


Removal    of  the    Obelisk  173 

with  the  greatest  precision,  and  without  in  the  least  marring 
the  sharp  edges  of  their  bases,  is  still  left  wholly  to  conjecture. 

Obelisks  were  originally  made  with  a  flat  base  which  rested 
directly  on  the  pedestal.  iMany  of  them  were  thrown  down  at 
the  time  of  the  Persian  invasion  and  remained  on  the  ground  five 
hundred  years,  till  the  Roman  conquest.  Cleopatra's  Needle, 
originally  erected  at  Heliopolis,  w^as  removed  to  Alexandria  in 
the  reign  of  Augustus  Csesar.  Either  while  lying  at  HeliopoUs  or 
in  its  removal,  the  corners  of  its  base  were  broken  off,  leaving  the 
lower  surface  slightly  rounded. 

The  bronze  crabs  appear  to  have  been  placed  under  its  four 
corners  that  it  might  rest  more  securely  on  the  pedestal.  The 
crabs  were  discovered  in  1877  by  excavations  made  by  Mr. 
Dixon  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  companion  of  Cleo- 
patra's Needle  to  London.  Copies  of  inscriptions  then  found 
upon  the  remaining  leg  of  one  of  the  crabs  were  published  by 
Dr.  Neroutsos  Bey,  an  antiquarian  of  Alexandria,  and  the  crabs 
and  base  of  the  obelisk  were  recovered  with  earth. 

The  inscriptions,  as  then  published  and  subsequently  copied 
by  Lieutenant-Commander  Gorrings,  inserted  by  him  in  his  book 
and  inscribed  on  one  of  the  crabs  now  under  the  obelisk,  errone- 
ously gave  the  date  of  the  erection  of  the  obelisk  at  Alexandria 
as  the  year  eight  of  the  reign  of  Augustus  Caesar,  23-22  b.  c, 
instead  of  the  year  eighteen,  13-12  b.  c.  This  led  to  much  dis- 
cussion by  antiquarians  and  historians,  both  in  Europe  and 
America,  in  consequence  of  its  contradiction  of  what  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  well  established  historical  fact,  namely,  that  Bar- 
barus  (Publius  Rubrius)  was  not  at  that  time  the  prefect  of 
Egypt,  though  he  was  the  prefect  ten  years  later.  This  fact  had 
been  established  by  a  Greek  inscription  found  on  the  ruins  at 
Phila3,  which  read,  ''To  the  Emperor  Csesar,  the  August,  the 
Savior  and  Benefactor,  in  the  18th  year.  Under  the  auspices  of 
Publius  Rubrius  Barbarus." 


174  EgyP^   ^^^   ^^^    Betrayal 

In  1883,  the  question  was  submitted  by  the  authorities  of  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  where  the  crab  had  been  deposited, 
to  Columbia  College,  and  by  the  president  of  the  College  to  the 
professor  of  Greek,  Augustus  C.  Merriam.  After  a  long  and  ex- 
haustive research,  being  imable  to  reconcile  the  facts  of  history 
with  the  inscriptions  as  published,  the  professor  had  the  leg  of 
the  crab  cleaned  of  its  oxydation.  Besides  bringing  clearly  to 
view  some  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  characters  that  had  been  sup- 
plied in  the  reading,  he  found  that  in  the  Greek  inscription  the 
date  was  the  year  IH  (18)  of  the  reign  of  Caesar,  instead  of  H  (8), 
and  in  the  Latin  inscription  XVIII  instead  of  VIII. 

The  correct  reading  of  the  inscription  is  as  follows: — 

L  IH  KAISMPS 
BAPBAPO2ANE0HKE 
APXITEKTONOTNTO  (2) 
nONTIOT 

The  Latin  L  represents  the  word  year  and  is  used  on  nearly  all 
of  the  dated  Egyptian  coins  of  the  Greco-Roman  period.  I  alone 
would  be  ten,  IH,  eighteen.  The  whole  inscription  may  be  trans- 
lated: ^'In  the  year  eighteen  [of  the  reign]  of  Caesar,  Barbarus 
erected  [or  dedicated]  [this  monument],  Pontius  being  the  archi- 
tect." 

The  Latin  inscription  was  on  the  inner  side  of  the  claw  and 
much  injured,  some  of  the  letters  being  wholly  effaced.  The  date 
and  the  other  essential  parts,  however,  were  legible.  The  full 
inscription,  restored,  is  as  follows: 


ANNO   XVIII   C^SARIS 
BARBARVS     PR.EF 
^GYPTI    POSVIT 

ARCHITECTANTE    PONTIC 


Eemainin<i-  I*ai-t  of  One  of  the  Bronze  Crabs  Wliicli  Supported  the 

Obelisk,   Sliowin^r  Greek   Inscription.     The  Upper 

Part   Is    One   of   the   Dowels. 


Removal   of  the   Obelisk  175 

Professor  Merriam  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  Greek  letter 
Psi  ('^)  in  the  upper  corner  was  the  initial  of  the  engraver.  The 
inscription  may  be  translated  as  follows : 

''In  the  year  eighteen  [of  the  reign]  of  Augustus  Caesar,  Bar- 
barus,  prefect  of  Egypt,  erected  [this  monument]  by  the  architect 
Pontius  (Pontius  being  the  architect)." 

The  foundations  of  the  pedestal  consisted  principally  of  large 
blocks  of  limestone.  The  whole  structure  below  the  pedestal  and 
above  the  lower  surface  of  the  lower  step  was  fastened  together 
with  ''iron  dogs"  protected  with  a  covering  of  lead,  in  the  same 
manner  as  iron  similarly  used  is  protected  at  the  present  day. 
The  iron  w^as  of  an  excellent  quality  and  in  a  marvelous  state  of 
preservation,  even  where  it  had  been  somewhat  exposed  to  at- 
mospheric influences.  The  entire  structure  was  a  magnificent 
piece  of  work  and  showed  that  the  architect,  Pontius,  would  have 
been  entitled,  even  at  this  day,  to  a  position  in  the  first  rank  of 
his  profession. 

In  this  structure  were  found  emblems  which  have  been  re- 
garded by  many  Free  Masons  as  an  important  discovery  relating 
to  the  history  of  their  order.  Others  have  taken  an  entirely 
different  view.  The  foundations  were,  with  the  exception  of  four 
pieces,  of  light-colored  gray  limestone.  On  removing  the  pedes- 
tal, there  was  found  under  its  easterly  corner  a  large  block  of 
finely  polished  Syenitic  granite  in  the  form  of  a  cube,  except  the 
height  w^as  less  than  the  side  measurement.  I  was  present  at 
the  removal  of  the  first  tier  of  stone.  Directly  below  the  granite 
cube  and  on  the  same  plane  with  the  lower  step,  was  another 
piece  of  granite,  the  upper  part  of  which  was  cut  in  the  form  of  a 
builder's  square.  Its  long  arm  was  eight  feet  six  inches  by  one 
foot  seven  and  a  half  inches  and  its  short  arm  four  feet  three 
inches  by  one  foot  seven  and  three-fourths  inches. 

Between  the  arms  of  the  square  was  a  piece  of  pure  white 
limestone,  four  feet  long  by  two  wide  and  nine  inches  deep.    On 


176  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

one  side  of  the  square  and  touching  its  short  arm  was  an  irregu- 
lar piece  of  granite,  its  upper  surface  very  rough,  its  angles  all 
different,  and  having,  consequently,  no  two  of  its  sides  parallel. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  stone  forming  the  square  was  a  large 
block  of  limestone  with  its  upper  surface  about  four  inches  below 
that  of  the  square.  It  was  covered  with  a  thin  stone,  on  the  re- 
moval of  w^hich  an  iron  trowel  and  a  lead  plummet  were  found. 

The  trowel,  which  was  the  shape  of  a  flattened  spoon  and  eight 
inches  long  by  five  wide  in  its  broadest  part,  was  wholly  oxydized. 
The  handle  was  four  inches  long  and  three-eighths  to  one-half  of 
an  inch  in  relief.  Spaces  had  been  cut  in  the  hmestone  block  in 
which  these  objects  had  been  imbedded  in  cement.  These  sym- 
bols— the  square,  the  trowel,  the  plummet,  the  two  granite 
blocks,  the  one  rough  and  the  other  finely  finished  (the  rough 
and  the  finished  ashler),  the  white  stone  and  the  relative  posi- 
tions in  which  they  were  found — are  claimed  by  some  members 
of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  to  be  strong  evidence  of  the  existence 
in  the  Roman  period  of  an  order  of  Free  Masons  from  which  the 
modern  orders  have  sprung.  So  many  concurrent  items  of  evi- 
dence certainly  tend  to  prove  that  these  objects  were  designedly 
placed  as  emblems  in  the  structure.  But  the  presence  of  all  but 
the  trowel  and  the  plummet  might  be  wholly  accidental,  and 
these  might  well  be  placed  by  the  workmen  in  so  famous  a  struc- 
ture as  symbols  of  their  occupation  without  any  reference  to  an 
organized  order. 

Alexandria  had  been  a  large  city  for  over  two  centuries.  It 
had  recently  suffered  severely  from  battles  fought  within  its 
walls  and  contained  many  ruins.  These  were  used  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable in  new  constructions  and  probably  furnished  the  material 
for  the  foundations  of  the  obelisk.  There  was  nothing  unusual 
in  the  form  of  any  of  the  pieces,  except  that  of  the  square.  This 
stone,  when  taken  out,  was  found  to  be  twenty-five  inches  thick, 
having  the  part  between  its  two  arms  cut  out  and  lowered  to  the 


Removal   of  the   Obelisk  177 

depth  of  nine  inches.  This  space  was  filled  with  other  stone,  in- 
cluding the  white  block.  When  it  was  first  discovered,  only  the 
upper  surface  of  the  form  in  a  square  could  be  seen.  The  lower 
part  of  the  stone  had  the  form  of  a  rectangular  parallelogram. 
Taken  by  itself,  the  natural  inference  would  have  been  that  it 
was  a  part  of  a  large  water-basin  (from  the  court  of  a  temple  or 
palace),  such  as  was  common  in  the  Greco-Roman  period,  and 
that  one  side  and  one  end  had  been  taken  off,  by  accident  or 
design,  leaving  the  bottom  and  the  other  side  and  end  as  origi- 
nally made. 

The  inside  of  the  rim  of  the  basin,  if  it  was  a  basin,  had,  at  its 
junction  with  the  bottom,  three  small  mouldings  or  beads  and, 
on  the  outside  at  the  bottom,  the  edges  instead  of  having  sharp 
angles  were  grooved.  There  was  nothing  in  the  appearance  of 
the  stone  to  indicate  that  it  was  cut  in  the  form  of  a  builder's 
square  for  the  purpose  of  being  placed  in  the  obelisk  foundation. 
Its  resemblance  to  a  square,  when  it  was  in  place  and  the  space 
between  the  arms  was  filled,  may  have  suggested  to  the  workmen 
the  idea  of  adding  the  trowel  and  plummet. 


178  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HISTORY  OF  OBELISK  AND  INSCRIPTIONS 

Cleopatra's  Needle  comes  to  us  from  the  golden  period  of 
Egypt's  history.  It  was  taken  from  the  quarries  of  Syene, 
brought  down  the  river  six  hundred  miles,  and  erected  at  Heli- 
opolis  during  the  reign  of  Thutmosis  III,  the  most  brilliant  and 
famous  sovereign  of  the  long  Une  of  the  Pharaohs.  The  central 
columns  of  its  inscriptions  are  devoted  to  his  praise. 

Ahmosis,  the  founder  of  the  eighteenth  dynasty,  having  ex- 
pelled from  Egypt  the  last  of  the  Hyksos,  or  ''Shepherd  Kings," 
who  had  ruled  the  Delta  of  the  Nile  for  five  centuries,  led  his 
victorious  army  as  far  as  Sharuhen,  a  town  near  the  southern 
boundary  of  Palestine  which  was  subsequently  allotted  to  the 
tribe  of  Simeon.^  He  afterwards  built,  to  protect  his  country 
from  further  invasions,  a  series  of  fortifications  on  his  eastern 
frontier,  not  far  from  the  present  line  of  the  Suez  Canal.  He  re- 
stored peace  and  order  in  the  interior  of  his  empire  and  subju- 
gated certain  tribes  in  Nubia  that  had  refused  to  pay  their  cus- 
tomary tribute.  Contenting  himself  with  the  laurels  he  had 
won,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  restoration,  extension  and 
embellishment  of  the  temples  which  had  been  neglected  dur- 
ing the  long  reign  of  the  foreigners. 

Thutmosis  I,  the  second  in  succession  after  Ahmosis,  was  a 
great  warrior  and  carried  his  conquests  much  farther  than  his 
predecessor.    He  led  his  victorious  army  through  Palestine  and 

1  Joshua  XIX,  6. 


History   of  the   Obelisk  179 

northern  Syria  to  Naharaim,  the  ''land  of  the  two  rivers," 
which  extended  from  the  river  Orontes  far  beyond  the  Euphrates, 
and  returned  to  his  capital,  Thebes,  ''covered  with  glory"  and 
''laden  with  booty."  He  enriched  Egypt  by  his  conquests  and 
by  the  wealth  he  afterwards  constantly  drew  from  Syria  and  his 
southern  provinces. 

After  a  short  life,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Thutmosis  II. 
Thutmosis  II  ruled  in  the  right  of  Hatshepsu,  his  half-sister  and 
wife,  who  was  in  fact  the  real  sovereign.  She  was,  through  her 
mother,  more  nearly  of  purely  divine  descent  than  her  husband, 
but  it  had  required  a  miracle,  wrought  at  her  birth,  to  purify 
her  blood  of  the  taint  inherited  from  one  of  her  maternal  an- 
cestors who  was  not  of  the  royal  family. 

The  kings  of  Egypt  claimed  descent  from  the  gods  and  re- 
ceived homage  as  divine  beings  from  their  subjects.  Hence  the 
purity  of  the  royal  blood  was  of  the  first  importance.  The  king 
was  the  "son  of  Ra."  His  father  was  the  "son  of  Ra,"  and  his 
grandfather  and  great-grandfather  and  so  back  through  all  his 
ancestors  to  the  god  himself.  There  were  no  other  earthly 
families  of  divine  descent  with  whom  to  contract  marriages. 
Brothers  and  sisters  intermarried  and  it  was  only  their  children 
who  were  of  pure  royal  blood.  The  male  child  had  the  right  of 
succession  if  he  was  of  the  same  mother.  It  sometimes  happened 
that  a  prince  whose  mother  was  only  a  common  woman  of  the 
harem  succeeded  to  his  father's  government,  and  those  whose 
ancestors  were  wholly  unknown,  by  success  in  war  or  by  other 
means,  became  de  facto  rulers.  These  were  not  regarded  by  the 
priests  and  people  as  legitimate  kings,  and  they  often  sought 
to  legitimize  their  reigns  and  establish  the  succession  in  their 
children  by  marrying  princesses  of  the  divine  blood.  They  made 
their  wives  queens  and  ruled  in  their  right.  The  king  also  often 
associated  with  him  in  his  government  one  of  his  children,  when 
yet  a  mere  child,  because  through  its  mother  it  was  more  nearly 


i8o  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

of  the  pure  royal  blood  than  the  father.  These  means  were  not 
always  considered  sufficient  to  purify  the  blood  and  establish 
the  legitimacy  of  the  reigning  family.  This  could  only  be  done 
by  a  miraculous  interposition  of  the  ancestral  god.  Ra,  the 
Sun-god,  condescended  to  become  incarnate  in  the  earthly  father 
at  the  moment  of  conception  and  thus  the  offspring  became 
divine,  a  ''son  of  Ra."  Besides  that  of  Hatshepsu  there  are  two 
other  instances  recorded  in  Egyptian  history  of  the  miraculous 
infusion  of  the  divine  essence  into  the  blood  of  royal  families, 
viz.:  that  of  Amenothes  III,  the  son  of  Thutmosis  IV,  and  of 
Ptolemy  Csesarion,  the  son  of  Julius  Csesar.  These  inventions 
of  the  priests  were  believed  by  them  to  be  political  necessities.^ 

Thutmosis  I  also  reigned  in  the  right  of  his  wife.  His  mother 
was  a  mere  concubine.  To  legalize  his  de  facto  government  and 
continue  the  divine  succession  he  made  Hatshepsu  his  associate 
when  she  was  a  child. 

Thutmosis  II  died,  after  a  short  and  uneventful  reign,  at  the 
age  of  thirty.  He  left  one  son,  Thutmosis  III,  whose  mother, 
Isis,  was  a  woman  of  low  birth.  He  was  then  a  child,  but  his 
aunt.  Queen  Hatshepsu,  proclaimed  him  her  successor  and  con- 
tinued to  rule  in  his  name,  as  she  had  previously  done  in  the  name 
of  her  husband.  This  nominally  dual  government  continued 
upwards  of  sixteen  years  and  ended  at  a  time  and  in  a  manner 
of  which  the  monuments  give  us  no  account.  It  was  a  prosper- 
ous, peaceful  reign  in  which  Egypt  continued  to  amass  wealth, 
build  and  beautify  temples  and  erect  other  magnificent  monu- 
ments. 

Thutmosis  III  was  about  twenty-five  years  old  when  he  be- 
came sole  ruler.  He  immediately  entered  upon  his  glorious 
career  of  conquests.  About  a  hundred  years  had  elapsed  since 
the  expulsion  of  the  ''Shepherd  Kings,"  during  which  period 

^  Maspero's  "  Struggle  of  the  Nations,"  M.  L.  MeClure's  translation, 
demy  quarto  ed.,  pp.  236,  237. 


History   of  the   Obelisk  i  8  i 

the  foundations  of  the  empire  had  been  firmly  laid.  But  it  was 
left  to  this  ruler,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  our  obelisk,  to 
raise  Egypt  to  the  highest  rank  among  the  then  existing  nations. 
Including  the  time  he  was  associated  with  Hatshepsu,  he  reigned 
nearly  fifty-five  years. 

His  whole  reign  was  a  succession  of  victorious  campaigns, 
which  extended  the  boundaries  of  the  empire  and  brought  to 
Egypt  a  constant  flow  of  gold,  silver,  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and 
other  useful  animals,  and  all  the  forms  of  personal  wealth  known 
to  the  commerce  of  that  period. 

From  the  twenty- third  year  of  his  reign  to  the  fortieth,  he 
conducted  against  the  Asiatic  nations  fourteen  campaigns.  He 
made  long  marches  in  strange  and  hostile  countries,  crossing 
rivers,  mountains  and  deserts,  taking  by  siege  and  storm  strong- 
hold after  stronghold  and,  finally,  destroying  or  subjugating 
every  tribe  and  people  who  dared  to  resist  the  victorious  and 
beloved  son  of  the  god  Amon.  In  the  language  of  the  hiero- 
glyphics, he  extended  his  boundaries  in  the  south  to  the  remotest 
lands  of  inner  Africa;  in  the  west,  beyond  the  tribes  of  the  Lybian 
desert  and  along  the  shore  of  the  sea;  and,  in  the  east  and  north, 
to  the  land  of  the  ''  two  rivers  "  and  the  ''  four  pillars  of  heaven." 

He  was  acknowledged  by  his  contemporaries  to  be  the  con- 
queror and  ruler  of  the  world  and  was  regarded  by  his  faithful 
subjects  with  reverence  and  awe  as  a  divine  being.  Under  his 
rule,  Egypt  became  the  central  point  of  the  world's  influence 
both  in  commerce  and  war.  His  long  reign  and  the  immense 
resources  at  his  disposal,  arising  from  the  annual  tributes  of  the 
conquered  countries,  enabled  him  to  carry  out  his  early  con- 
ceived plans  for  increasing  the  number  and  enlarging  and  deco- 
rating the  temples  of  the  gods  of  Egypt,  of  whom  he  considered 
himself  an  emanation  and  a  part. 

It  was  in  this  and  the  immediately  succeeding  reigns  that 
Egyptian  art  reached  its  highest  degree  of  perfection.     The 


1 82  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

centuries  that  have  passed  have  left  us,  in  most  cases,  only  heaps 
of  ruins;  but  enough  remains  to  give  us  a  full  knowledge  of  the 
marvelous  monuments  of  this  period.  Whether  we  consider  the 
grandeur  of  the  original  conceptions,  the  grace  of  the  massive 
forms,  the  completeness  and  sjmimetry  of  the  structures,  the 
elegance  and  effectiveness  of  the  ornamental  designs  or  the  fine- 
ness, beauty  and  fidelity  of  their  execution,  we  must  conclude 
that  the  artists  of  the  sixteenth  century  before  our  era  produced 
master  works  that  have  never  since  been  surpassed.  It  was 
Egypt's  golden  period  in  power  and  glory,  in  war  and  commerce, 
in  wealth  and  art,  and  even  historians  and  poets  were  not  want- 
ing. Indeed,  it  is  to  these  we  are  indebted  for  the  very  full 
knowledge  we  now  have  of  this  wonderful  people. 

Among  the  monumental  works  of  Thutmosis  III,  his  obelisks 
occupy  a  prominent  place.  That  of  St.  John  Lateran  at  Rome 
is  one  of  his,  though  it  appears  from  its  inscriptions  to  have  been 
finished  and  erected  some  time  after  his  death  by  Thutmosis  IV. 
It  has  been  somewhat  shortened,  but  it  is  still  one  hundred  and 
five  feet  in  height  and  is  the  largest  existing  obelisk,  except  the 
unfinished  one  lying  in  the  quarry  at  Assuan.  It  weighs  five 
hundred  tons  and  that  of  Assuan  over  seven  hundred.  It  was 
one  of  a  pair  erected  in  front  of  the  temple  of  Anion  at  Karnak. 
The  inscription  says:  '^The  king  has  raised  these  immense  obe- 
lisks to  him  (Amon)  in  the  forecourt  of  the  House  of  God." 

The  remaining  part  of  an  obelisk  now  at  Constantinople  was 
also  his  work,  and  has  been  attributed  to  the  early  part  of  his 
sole  reign.  Like  the  other  Egyptian  obelisks,  it  is  of  rose-colored 
Syenitic  granite,  and  its  inscriptions  were  carved  in  the  elegant 
style  of  the  period.  The  king  here  tells  us  of  his  Asiatic  con- 
quests: "King  Thutmosis  III  passed  through  the  whole  extent 
of  the  land  of  Naharairn  as  a  victorious  conqueror  at  the  head  of 
his  army.  He  placed  his  boundary  at  the  horn  of  the  world,  and 
at  the  hinder  water-land  of  Naharaim." 


History   of  the   Obelisk  183 

Cleopatra's  Needle  and  its  companion  now  in  London  were 
originally  erected  by  him  at  one  of  the  gates  of  the  Temple  of  the 
Sun  at  Heliopolis,  probably  toward  the  end  of  his  life,  about 
fifteen  hundred  years  before  Christ.  He  restored  and  beautified 
the  then  ancient  temple  and,  according  to  the  inscriptions,  built 
a  wall  around  it  in  the  year  forty-seven  of  his  reign. 

Heliopolis  was  sometimes  called  the  city  of  obelisks  from  the 
number  of  these  monuments  it  contained.  It  had  been  a  city  of 
obelisks  for  a  long  period  previous  to  the  time  of  Seti  I,  and  yet 
this  monarch  is  spoken  of  on  the  monuments  as  '^  having  filled 
HeliopoUs  with  obelisks  to  illumine  with  their  rays  the  Temple 
of  the  Sun."  The  obeHsks,  or,  at  least,  their  inscriptions,  were 
gilded  with  gold  or  other  metals.  An  inscription  on  the  Temple 
of  Amon  at  Karnak  describes  certain  objects  dedicated  by  the 
king,  Thutmosis  III,  to  this  god.  Among  them  was  a  ^'beautiful 
harp,  inlaid  with  silver  and  gold,  and  blue,  green  and  other 
precious  stones,"  a  statue  of  the  king,  giving  his  exact  likeness, 
''such  as  had  never  been  seen  in  Egypt  since  the  days  of  the  Sun- 
god  Ra,"  and  "obelisks  on  which  silver,  gold,  iron  and  copper 
were  not  spared  and  which  shone  in  their  splendor  on  the  surface 
of  the  water  and  filled  the  land  with  their  light  like  the  stars  on 
the  body  of  the  heavenly  goddess  Nut." 

The  obelisks  stood  in  pairs  at  the  gates  of  the  temple,  to  which 
long  avenues,  with  rows  of  sphinxes  on  either  side,  conducted. 
Heliopolis  was  not  only  one  of  the  oldest  cities  of  Egypt,  famous 
for  its  monuments  and  the  worship  of  the  bull  Mnevis,  but  for 
many  centuries  it  was  the  seat  of  Egyptian  learning.  Many 
Grecian  philosophers  came  to  Heliopolis,  during  its  later  years, 
to  add  to  their  store  of  knowledge  from  the  wisdom  of  its  priests. 

The  long  and  glorious  history  of  Heliopolis  was  suddenly 
ended  by  the  Persian  invasion,  525  b.  c.  From  that  time,  though 
the  priests  afterwards  restored  the  worship  of  the  Sun-god,  in- 
carnate in  the  sacred  bull  Mnevis,  the  city  has  remained  deserted. 


184  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

According  to  Herodotus,  Cambyses,  the  son  of  Cyrus,  when  a 
youth  of  ten  years,  promised  his  mother  that  when  he  became  a 
man  he  would  ''turn  Egypt  upside  down."  The  promise  was 
loyally  kept.  We  have  no  history  of  the  details  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  sacred  city  and  can  only  judge  of  what  was  done  by 
the  cruel  and  sacrilegious  character  of  the  Persians  and  the  con- 
dition in  which  it  was  afterwards  found  by  Greek  and  Roman 
travelers.  When  Strabo  visited  it,  five  hundred  years  later, 
24  B.  c,  twelve  years  before  the  erection  of  our  obelisk  in  Alex- 
andria, he  found  only  a  deserted  city,  but  the  faithful  priests, 
tenaciously  cUnging  to  the  old  religion,  were  still  worshipping  in 
the  ruined  temple.    He  says: 

''  Here  in  Heliopolis,  upon  a  large  mound,  one  sees  the  Temple 
of  the  Sun  where  the  bull  Mnevis  is  kept  in  a  sanctuary.  He  is 
regarded  as  a  god,  as  the  Apis  is  at  Memphis.  In  the  front  of  the 
mound  are  lakes  fed  by  the  neighboring  canal.  The  city  is  now 
wholly  deserted.  Its  ancient  temple,  built  in  the  Egyptian  style, 
bears  numerous  marks  of  the  fury  and  sacrilegious  spirit  of 
Cambyses,  who  ravaged  the  holy  buildings,  mutilating  them 
with  fire  and  violence.  In  this  manner  he  injured  the  obelisks. 
Two  of  these  monuments  that  were  not  greatly  damaged  were 
taken  to  Rome.  There  are  others  of  these  obelisks,  both  here 
and  at  Thebes,  now  Diospolis,  some  standing,  much  eaten  by 
fire,  and  others  thrown  down  and  lying  on  the  ground." 

From  this  description,  the  cause  of  the  rounding  of  the  base 
of  Cleopatra's  Needle  and  the  injured  condition  of  its  sides  is 
evident.  It  and  its  companion  were  probably  lying  on  the  ground 
at  Heliopolis  from  the  time  of  the  Persian  invasion  until  they 
were  removed  by  the  Romans  to  Alexandria.  They  were  not 
only  thrown  down  and  otherwise  injured  by  Cambyses,  but  they 
suffered  from  the  alkalies  of  the  soil  and  the  fires  of  the  natives 
who  prepared  their  food  beside  them  for  five  hundred  years. 


The  Obelisk,  Cleopatra's  Xeeclle,  in  Central  Park,  Xew  York. 


History   of  the   Obelisk  185 

Heliopolis  is  but  an  hour's  drive  from  Cairo.  The  first  object 
seen  is  its  solitary  obelisk  in  the  distant  fields.  There  are  a  few 
low  mounds  in  the  vicinity  and  occasional  ruins  protruding  from 
the  soil.  These  and  the  lone  obelisk  are  the  only  marks  of  the 
site  of  the  once  famous  city.  This  obeUsk  is  the  oldest  of  the 
large  obelisks  that  have  been  discovered.  It  was  erected  by 
Usertesen  I  of  the  twelfth  dynasty,  nearly  a  thousand  years 
earlier  than  the  time  of  Thutmosis  III.  Centuries  before  Abra- 
ham was  born,  even  before  the  recorded  time  of  the  flood,  the 
priests  of  On  (HeUopolis)  read  the  deeply  cut  inscriptions  on  this 
obelisk  that  we  read  to-day.  The  same  inscription  is  repeated 
on  each  side.   The  translation  is  as  follows : — 

'^TheHoroftheSun, 
The  life  for  those  who  are  born. 
The  king  of  the  upper  and  lower  land, 
Khepher-ka-ra. 
The  lord  of  the  double  crown, 
The  Ufe  of  those  who  are  born. 
The  son  of  the  Sun-god  Ra, 
Usertesen. 

The  friend  of  the  spirit  of  On, 
Ever  living. 
The  golden  Hor, 
The  life  of  those  who  are  born. 
The  good  god, 
Kheper-ka-ra, 
Has  erected  this  work. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  thirty  years  cycle, 
He  the  dispenser  of  fife  forever." 

A 

Usertesen  was  one  of  the  great  kings  of  the  twelfth  dynasty 
and  had  a  prosperous  reign  of  forty-five  years,  including  ten 


1 86  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

years  in  which  he  was  associated  with  his  father.  In  the  third 
year  of  his  reign,  after  counseling  with  the  high  officials  of  his 
court,  he  ordered  the  '^raising  of  worthy  buildings  to  the  Sun- 
god  Ra."  He  either  restored  or  enlarged  the  temple,  which  was 
aheady  ancient  even  in  that  remote  period.  When  the  great 
gate  was  finished,  he  erected  at  its  entrance  a  pair  of  obelisks,  of 
which  the  obelisk  now  standing  was  one.  Its  companion  was 
often  mentioned  by  the  old  Greek  and  Arab  writers,  and  re- 
mained standing  till  a.  d.  1160,  when  it  fell  and  was  broken.^ 
The  pyramidions  of  these  obelisks  were  covered  with  copper 
caps,  which,  according  to  these  writers,  were  of  great  weight  and 
value.     They  also  had  figures  carved  upon  them. 

The  New  York  obelisk,  before  its  removal  from  the  sacred  city 
of  Hefiopolis,  had  long  outlived  its  owti  civilization.  It  had 
passed  through  the  whole  of  Egypt's  golden  period.  It  had 
looked  down  upon  the  boy  Moses,  as  he  went  daily,  with  the 
noble  youths  of  the  land,  to  receive  instruction  from  the  priests 
of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun;  and  Moses,  on  his  part,  beheld  with 
admiration  the  then  golden  hieroglyphs,  that  so  long  puzzled 
the  wise  men  of  modern  times,  but  which  he  read  as  a  student 
reads  his  Latin.  It  had  beheld  the  chosen  people  of  God  in  the 
days  of  their  oppression  and  witnessed  the  excitement  at  the 
time  of  the  Exodus — the  hurrying  to  and  fro  of  the  priests  of 
the  temple  and  the  groups  of  the  people  in  the  public  places  of 
the  city  discussing  the  great  event. 

It  had  afterwards  watched  for  eight  centuries  the  passing  of 
the  generations  during  the  reign  of  the  Pharaohs,  and  had  looked 
down  not  only  upon  these  monarchs,  but  upon  all  the  long  lines 
of  scholars  who  came  to  seek  knowledge  in  this  famous  city  of 
learning.     It  had  then  mutely  witnessed  the  conquest  of  the 

^  De  Lancy  in  his  notes  accompanying  his  translation  of  Abel-ul-Latif, 
from  the  Arabic  into  French,  cites  at  length  the  statements  of  these  writers 
relative  to  this  obelisk. 


History   of  the   Obelisk  187 

Persians  and  seen  the  city  of  On  and  its  temples  destroyed,  and 
itself  and  many  of  its  companion  obelisks  become  victims  of  the 
vengeance  of  the  sacrilegious  soldiers  of  Cambyses. 

Afterwards,  lying  upon  the  ground,  where  it  had  been  left  by 
the  Persians,  it  had  seen  Plato  in  his  daily  walks  pursuing  his 
study  of  philosophy  and  astronomy.  It  had  then  beheld  the 
coming  of  Alexander  the  Great  into  its  surrounding  ruin  and 
desolation  and  his  warm  reception  by  the  people  as  their  deUverer 
from  the  yoke  of  the  Persians;  and  later,  the  three  hundred 
years'  reign  of  the  Ptolemies. 

On  the  coming  of  the  Csesars,  it  had  left  the  ruin  and  decay  of 
its  inland  town  and  been  transferred  to  the  busy  seaport  of  Alex- 
andria. Here,  standing  upon  the  seashore,  a  beacon  to  mariners 
for  nineteen  hundred  years,  it  watched  the  rolling  waves  and 
the  coming  and  going  of  the  ships  on  the  one  side  and  the  kaleido- 
scope of  human  events  on  the  other. 

Rebellions  and  insiu-rections,  invasions  and  conquests;  the 
struggles  between  paganism  and  Christianity,  between  Christi- 
anity and  Mohammedanism  and  between  the  different  dynasties 
of  Arabs  and  Turks;  the  successive  reigns  of  Sultans,  Khalifs 
and  Mamelukes;  the  conquest  of  Napoleon  and  the  land  and  sea 
battles  between  the  EngUsh  and  French  were  all  seen  by  this 
ancient  monument  while  standing  at  Alexandria.  What  it  is 
to  see  during  the  coming  centuries,  in  its  new  home  within  a 
metropolis  that  had  not  even  an  existence  when  it  was  three 
thousand  years  old,  can  only  be  related  by  historians  to  be  born 
in  the  distant  future. 

The  ancient  Egyptians  had  a  literature  far  surpassing  that  of 
any  other  of  the  early  peoples.  Only  a  small  part  of  it  has  come 
to  us.  Many  hundreds  of  inscriptions,  however,  have  been  pre- 
served on  stone  and  papyrus.  The  more  they  are  studied  the 
greater  is  the  admiration  of  the  scholar.  Some  of  these  inscrip- 
tions are  historical;  others  relate  to  religious  beUefs. 


1 88  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

Of  all  the  Egyptian  writings,  the  inscriptions  on  the  obelisks 
are  the  least  interesting.  They  are  devoted  to  the  boastful  self- 
praises  of  the  kings  and  the  affirmation  of  their  descent  from  the 
gods.  Those  on  the  pyramidion  and  the  central  columns  of  the 
New  York  obelisk  were  inscribed  by  Thutmosis  III.  Nearly 
three  hundred  years  later,  Ramses  II  used  the  vacant  space  on 
each  side  of  the  central  column.  He  was  not  only  famous  for  his 
numerous  and  great  works,  but  he  was  also  the  great  appropriator 
of  the  works  of  his  predecessors  for  the  record  of  his  own  name 
and  fame.  The  two  outer  columns  which  he  inscribed  on  each 
face  of  the  obelisk  tell  us  of  his  abundant  years,  his  great  vic- 
tories, and  that  he  is  the  son  of  the  Sun-god  Ra,  the  issue  of  his 
loins. 

Four  hundred  years  later,  Osarken  I  placed  close  to  the  outer 
edge  of  each  face,  near  the  base  of  the  obelisk,  inscriptions  in- 
forming succeeding  generations  that  he  was  the  king  of  Upper 
and  Lower  Egypt,  and  a  descendant  of  the  Sun-god.  This  king, 
under  the  Bible  name  of  Zerah,  was  defeated  by  Asa  in  a  great 
battle  in  the  south  of  Palestine.^ 

On  the  east  face  of  the  pyramidion,  Thutmosis  III  is  repre- 
sented as  a  sphinx  couchant  on  a  pedestal,  holding  in  his  hands 
two  vases  and  in  the  act  of  offering  a  Hbation  to  the  hawk- 
headed  Ra-Harmachis,  the  Sun-god  of  On  (Heliopolis).  Thut- 
mosis is  here  called,  ''The  Good  God,"  ''Lord  of  the  Two  Lands" 
(Upper  and  Lower  Egypt),  "Men-Kheper-Ra,"  and  "The  Bull 
of  Victory  arisen  in  Thebes,  son  of  the  Sun,  Thutmosis."  Under 
the  vases  in  the  half-effaced  inscription  may  be  read,  "Giving 
Wine." 

The  central  column  of  hieroglyphs,  that  of  Thutmosis  III,  on 
the  east  face  of  the  obelisk,  is  translated  as  follows: 

^  II  Chron.  XIV,  9-13. 


History   of  the    Obelisk  189 


Banner-name 
"The  crowned  Horus 
Bull  of  Victory 
Arisen  in  Thebes. 


'  The  lord  of  the  Vulture  and  Urseus  crowns 
Prolonged  as  to  kingdom, 
Even  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens. 
By  Tum  lord  of  On  begotten, 
Son  of  his  loins,  who  hath  been 
fashioned  by  Thot, 

Whom  they  created  in  the  great-temple 
With  the  perfections  of  their  flesh, 
Knowing  what  he  was  to  perform, 
Kingdom  prolonged  through  ages, 
King  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt 
Men-kheper-ra  (Thutmosis  III), 
Loving  Tum,  the  great  god. 
With  his  cycle  of  divinities. 
Who  giveth  all  life  stay  and  sway. 
Like  the  sun  forever." 


Central  column,  north  face. 

Banner-name 
"  The  crowned  Horus 
Tall  with  the  southern  crown 
Loving  Ra. 


"  The  king  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt, 
Men-kheper-ra  (Thutmosis  III), 
The  golden  Horus,  content  with  victory. 


190  Egypt   and   its    Betrayal 

Who  smiteth  the  rulers  of  the  nations — 

Hundreds  of  thousands; 

In  as  much  as  father  Ra 

Hath  ordered  unto  him 

Victory  against  every  land, 

Gathered  together; 

The  valor  of  the  scimeter 

In  the  palms  of  his  hands 

To  broaden  the  bounds  of  Egypt; 

Son  of  the  Sun,  Thutmosis  III, 

Who  giveth  all  life  forever." 


Inscriptions  of  Ramses  II 
Translation  of  the  south  column  of  the  east  face. 

Banner-name 
"The  crowned  Horus, 
Bull  of  victory 
Son  of  Kheper-ra. 


"The  king  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt 
User-ma-ra  (Ramses  II). 
The  chosen  of  Ra,  the  golden  Horus 
Rich  in  years,  great  in  victory. 
Son  of  the  Sun,  Ramses  II, 
Who  came  forth  from  the  womb 
To  receive  the  crowns  of  Ra; 
Fashioned  was  he  to  be  the  sole  ruler, 
The  lord  of  the  Two  Lands, 
User-ma-ra  (Ramses  II), 
The  chosen  of  Ra,  son  of  the  Sun, 
Ramessu  Meiamun  (Ramses  II), 


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'J'he  Hieroglyphics  on  the  Four  Sides  of  the 
Ohelisk  in  Central  Park,  Xew  York. 


History   of  the    Obelisk  191 

Glorified  of  Osiris 

Like  the  Sun  life-giving  forever." 

North  Column. 

Banner-name 
^'The  crowned  Horus 
Bull  of  Victory 
Loving  Ra. 


"  The  king  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt 
User-ma-ra  (Ramses  II), 
The  chosen  of  Ra, 
The  Sun  born  of  divinities, 
Taking  the  Two  Lands, 
Son  of  the  Sun, 

Ramessu  Meiamun  (Ramses  II) ; 
The  youth 
Beautiful  for  love. 
Like  the  orb  of  the  Sun 
When  he  shines  in  the  horizon, 
The  lord  of  the  Two  Lands, 
User-ma-ra  (Ramses  II), 
The  chosen  of  Ra, 
Son  of  the  Sun 
Ramessu  Meiamun, 
Glorified  of  Osiris, 
Life  giving  like  the  Sun  forever." 

There  are  also  some  nearly  effaced  hieroglyphics  at  the  bottom 
of  the  obelisk.  They  have  been  translated  as:  ''Life  gracious- 
god,  Ramses  II."  This  phrase  is  repeated  several  times  at  the 
bottom  of  each  face. 

The  other  inscriptions  on  the  different  sides  of  the  obelisk  are 


192  -^gyP^   ^^^   ^^^    Betrayal 

of  the  same  character  and  to  a  large  extent  repetitions  of  those 
of  which  the  translations  have  been  given. 

On  two  sides  of  the  pyramidion,  Ramses  III,  as  a  sphinx 
couchant,  is  represented  as  offering  Ubations  to  the  Sun-god, 
Ra-Harmachis  (the  rising  sun)  and  on  the  other  two  sides  to 
Turn  (the  setting  sun). 


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